Elleeka
by Realmlife
Summary: A cryptic clue from Dungeon Master with hope of a portal home, but one little girl has other plans, separating the group and leading Sheila into danger. Will Hank realise where he's needed and will the others manage to stay out of trouble in their latest quest.
1. Chapter 1: Selection

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 1 - Selection**

They had been waiting at the crossroads for nearly half an hour, discussing their most recent mission and their subsequent failure to make it home yet again. Bobby had recited the whole story of their last encounter to Uni, who had been cowering out of sight throughout most of the action, getting gradually louder and louder until Sheila had intervened, telling him to keep it down.

The Barbarian had done as he was told, and the topic had then moved on to some of their previous adventures, and then back further as they discussed their lives before the Realm. Sheila had said very little, happy to sit back and listen, glad that none of them seemed overly disappointed about still being stuck here.

There was a lull in the conversation, the only noise being the sounds of nature surrounding them, the birds singing, insects buzzing or clicking, and the running water from the river. She knew it wouldn't last and, right on cue, they began talking again.

"Eric, what was it that Dungeon Master said again?" asked Presto.

"Some garbage about lost and found," his friend snapped.

"Eric!" Diana warned. "Play nice."

He scowled, but answered the question in a dull monotone.

"You must find that which is lost but does not know that it is lost and those who seek but do not know that they seek. Combined, the power to send you home exists, if you should choose to use it."

"How can something be lost if it doesn't know it's lost?" queried Bobby.

"Meah?" added Uni.

"I don't know, Bobby," Sheila answered. "But I'm sure we'll figure it out."

No one commented on this, and they all remained quiet for a short while until Eric broke the silence.

"How much longer do we have to wait here anyway?"

Diana glared at him, obviously frustrated at him repeatedly asking the same thing.

Sheila sighed softly. "I'll go and see what's taking so long."

She slowly got to her feet, brushed the dry bits of grass from her dress and cloak and began walking back towards the town that they had exited a short while ago.

-X-

Hank had been trying to leave for the last ten minutes but the Mayor of Chand had continually delayed him, first with his repeated thanks at the help his town had received, then by the unnecessary apologies and expressions of regret about the portals collapse. After politely refusing offers of staying longer for a fourth time the Ranger was able to shake the man's hand as he said his final farewell.

He left the house carrying a large sack filled with supplies and was pleasantly surprised to see the Thief waiting for him.

"Is anything wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Some of the others were getting a little impatient, and so..."

She didn't need to finish. He could easily guess which member of their group she was referring to.

"Don't worry about it," she added. "Would you really expect anything else?"

"With Eric, the day he stops complaining is the day I start worrying," he stated with a smile.

She laughed at his reply and gave him a knowing look before they began moving, chatting cheerfully as they walked. Hank followed Sheila's lead as they made their way out of the small town to where she had left the others waiting. As they approached the river he noticed a look of concern flash across her face.

"Sheila?"

She turned to him in confusion.

"They were right there," she exclaimed.

"Something must have happened," he said with a frown.

The Ranger looked at her and she immediately raised her hood, acting upon his unspoken warning that they should be careful. He handed her the bag he had been carrying, watching as it vanished from sight, and then continued walking until he reached the waters edge, trusting that Sheila would follow.

"There doesn't seem to be any sign of a struggle," he voiced aloud, as much to reassure himself as the invisible Thief.

A movement caught his eye and he turned to see a small girl. She appeared to be about the same age Bobby and she was striding purposely towards him. She wore a simplistic green dress which matched her eyes, and her untidy blonde hair hung loosely around her face.

Hank opened his mouth to address her and . . .

-X-

Sheila saw the child as soon as she emerged from the reeds. She did not consider her to be a threat but remained concealed and watched as she approached the Ranger, waiting to see what he would do. To her surprise he did nothing. The girl was standing directly before him, staring at him, and he was just staring back, completely motionless.

She silently walked up to the pair and saw the glazed look in Hank's eyes as she circled them. From the triumphant expression on the child's face Sheila knew that it was obviously her doing. She turned her attention back to the Ranger and as she did so the girl darted off, back to the spot Sheila had first seen her appear from.

The Thief stood still for a moment as she tried to decide what she should do next; follow the child and confront her or stay where she was with Hank. She tentatively placed her hand on the Rangers arm and upon receiving no response she tightened her hold, shaking him gently. Next she tried whispering his name, but this too had no effect.

_This is getting me nowhere_ she thought ruefully. She had no idea what had been done to him, how long it would last, or if he would be stuck like that until the child returned to release him.

Sheila took one last look at Hank's immobile form before creeping carefully to where the girl had hidden. She wanted answers. First she wanted to know what had happened to the Ranger, and then she wanted information about her friend's disappearance, something which she was sure the child was also responsible for.

Even though the Thief knew where to look, it still took her a few seconds to catch sight of the girl, the green dress she wore blending in well with the tall grasses of the riverbank. Her eyes were fixed on the road leading from the town and Sheila realised that the girl was watching for her return.

She carefully shifted her position and quietly placed the food sack she was still carrying on the ground. She was now directly behind the child and, still cloaked, she reached forward and grabbed her.

"What have you done to him," she demanded.

The girl screamed, and struggled violently, forcing Sheila to take several steps back until she tripped over the bag she had deposited only a few moments ago. Her hood flew back as she fell and the child took full advantage of the situation and twisted free.

Sheila hastily sat up and her eyes locked with those of the child.

-X-

Hank blinked a few times to clear his head and looked around. He counted a total of three paths leading away from the area, excluding the one he had just taken from Chand. He half considered going back that way to stay a few more days, as the people had been so friendly, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He had a journey to continue.

He took another look and appraised his options. The route towards the hills in the north did not appear to have been used very often, being very overgrown, so he promptly disregarded it. The second, heading north-west, was more worn and it looked like someone had gone that way recently. He could make out three or four different sets of footprints and even some small hoof prints in the dusty ground.

The final trail, to the south, was the most used. He settled on that one and set a brisk pace as he continued his search. As he walked, he vaguely wondered what it was that he was looking for, but something told him that he would somehow know it when he found it.

-X-

Sheila closed her eyes for a few seconds before slowly opening them again. She turned her head and caught sight of the small child she was seeking, half hidden in the reeds.

"Elleeka, look at the state of you," she exclaimed, taking in the girls wild appearance. "Come here."

Elleeka approached and sat down directly in front of her as indicated. Sheila had pulled a hairbrush from her pocket and slowly worked it through the tangled blonde mess, carefully teasing out the knots.

"I leave you alone for five minutes," she gently scolded as she finished.

"I'm sorry," the girl mumbled. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad," Sheila assured her. "I just wish you could stay out of trouble."

Elleeka turned her head and grinned, at which Sheila shook her head and smiled. She then got to her feet and held out her hand to the child.

"Come on you, let's go home."

Elleeka quickly jumped up and, with the girl held firmly in one hand and a bag full of food in the other, Sheila began walking along the narrow hillside path to the north, picking her way through the long grasses and shrubs as she went.

-X-


	2. Chapter 2: Just Another Day

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 2 – Just Another Day**

Sheila and Elleeka did not rush as they made their way up the hillside. They walked hand in hand; enjoying the warmth offered by the suns and appeared perfectly content. The little girl was clearly very happy as she skipped along, humming a tune as she went. Even with the stop they had made for lunch, it was only mid afternoon when they reached the small, run-down cottage that they both called home.

Sheila had been very quiet during their journey. She knew that the two of them had been away, but for some reason she couldn't seem to remember how long they had been gone, or for that matter, where they had been. As she pushed open the door she surmised that they must have been absent for some time. The room smelt stale, and a thick layer of dust was clearly visible on all the exposed surfaces. As she stepped inside she noticed how dark it was and a quick glance at the grime covered windows gave her the reason why.

The only entrance to the dwelling was the door by which she had just entered and there were no internal walls, the one room, with a solitary support pillar in the centre, containing everything they needed. Opposite her, on the far side of the room, was a wooden ladder which led to a small platform where Elleeka slept at night. To her left was the kitchen, and to the right, the living area.

Sheila stared silently at the mess, trying to decide where to begin when Elleeka interrupted her thoughts.

"Sheila, can we play a game?"

"Not just now, Sweetie," she muttered.

"Aw, please," the child begged.

"Not until I've cleaned up a little," she answered firmly. "We can play when I've done."

"Promise?" cried Elleeka excitedly.

"I promise," Sheila assured her. "And if you help, then I'll be done quicker."

The first thing Sheila did was to open all the windows to allow some air to circulate while Elleeka climbed the ladder to her room and stripped the sheets from her bed as instructed. The child threw them over the rail into the centre of the room. She then added a mountain of dirty clothes to the pile before making her way back down.

Meanwhile, Sheila had unpacked the supplies she had been carrying and turned her attention to the living area. Her eyes caught sight of the large bed tucked away in the corner of the room and she looked at it for a moment before slowly walking towards it.

"Do you want me to do your bed too?" Elleeka asked.

Having not heard the child approach, Sheila started upon hearing her speak. She turned her head to respond, her mumbled yes barely audible. She remained motionless for several seconds as Elleeka began her task and a puzzled expression flitted across her face. For a brief moment she had not recognised her own bed.

-X-

Eric led the way, walking a little ahead of his friends, following the path that he hoped would avoid the need to do any climbing. Even though he was much fitter compared to when they had first set foot in the Realm he still got the feeling that his armour got heavier whenever hills or mountains were involved. As such, he always tried to avoid them given the choice.

He was listening to the conversation behind him. Bobby, Diana and Presto all trying to make sense of their latest cryptic clue, with the occasional 'Meah' added in at various intervals. Although he doubted very much that they would work it out he let them talk uninterrupted, hoping that maybe for once one of them would understand what Dungeon Master had meant before it practically smacked them in the face.

He kept going over the riddle himself but always reached the same conclusion as the others, you had to know you were lost to be lost or you weren't really lost, or something like that anyway. And so it continued, with very little else being discussed for most of the afternoon.

The path had widened as the day wore on so the four of them could now walk side by side easily, but it was still full of twists and turns, the odd glimpse of Chand in the not so far distance showing how slow their progress had actually been. He was surprised that no one had commented on this, but no sooner had the thought entered his head when . . .

"Eric, how come we're still so close to Chand?"

There was a time when he would have taken the bait and snapped at the Barbarian, but not any more. He had learnt during his time in the Realm that he had to be the adult, recognising that Bobby was still a kid, prone to childish arguments if you let him. Instead he responded calmly.

"We've come a lot further that it looks," then added, "and this route gives us some time to try and figure out DM's riddle."

The Barbarian nodded in acknowledgement. Eric also noted the smile he got from Diana for his reply and smiled himself, always pleased when he managed to impress her. He had hoped that that would be the only awkward question he would be asked, but Bobby had not finished yet, his next being far more difficult.

"Do you think we'll ever get home?"

The desperation was obvious from the tone of his voice and Eric was at a loss. _What could he say?_ He knew what he should say and most of the time he was able to respond as required but for some reason he couldn't find the words. Thankfully Diana stepped in, offering the comfort that the Barbarian needed, reassuring him that he would see his parents and sister again soon.

A bitter though crossed Eric's mind at the mention of Sheila. She was safe at home, along with Hank, while they were stuck here. It wasn't like it was their fault but he couldn't help but envy their choice not to go on the Dungeons and Dragons ride.

He frowned; he could remember nearly every detail of that day but not the reason why they had not joined him and the others on the ride. He assumed it must have been Sheila who had not wanted to go on it. Hank would have then volunteered to wait with her, but there was something wrong with that theory, something he couldn't quite place. There was no point dwelling on it now. He should be focusing on figuring out how they were going to get home instead of blaming Hank and Sheila for not bring trapped with them.

He could still hear the Acrobat talking to Bobby. Presto had also joined in, reminiscing about their families, friends and even school. While Eric was glad his friends had managed to distract the Barbarian, it wasn't helping how he was feeling about their most recent attempts to get home.

First there had been the mirror belonging to the Fairie Dragons. They could have used it to get home, but the risk of King Varen then using it to pursue Queen Tasmira and her subjects was too great, so he had smashed it with his shield. It had been the right thing to do, but he still kept thinking that there must have been another way.

Then there had been the portal in Chand. They had been so close that time; probably the nearest they had ever been since their arrival. The creature threatening the townsfolk had been defeated and, miraculously, the gateway to their birth-world had remained intact throughout the conflict. The four of them had made arrangements for Uni's care and had been standing together just about to step through.

At that moment one of the houses that had been damaged by the fight began to collapse, choosing to fall directly onto a spot where two small children were playing. He hadn't even stopped to think, diving straight towards them, his shield raised, as the stonework crashed down. He reached them with only a fraction of a second to spare, but the masonry had bounced off the force-field right onto the only thing holding the portal open.

And that was that, yet another way home gone for good. This time he at least knew there was nothing else he could have done. The children would have perished if he had not reacted, and he would not have wanted their deaths on his conscience. Getting home at any cost was not an option.

So here he was again, searching for that ever elusive portal which would be the one to take them home for good. He turned his head to look at his three companions and saw Presto waving his hand over his hat as he mumbled to it.

"Alakazeera, we're all feeling low, please give us something to soften the blow."

The next moment there was a huge cloud of fine white dust emerging from the opening, completely engulfing the Magician. This had the result of causing Presto to go into a violent sneezing fit while Diana cautious rubbed some of the substance between her fingers.

"Talcum powder," she informed them, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

It wasn't long before she, Bobby and Eric were giggling, while Presto was still spluttering and trying to wipe his face and glasses.

"It's not funny," he moaned as his sneezing subsided.

"Yes it is," Diana managed to gasp.

"I only wanted something to cheer us up," Presto muttered.

"Idiot," Eric sighed, but on seeing how dejected the Magician looked he added, "but it did work, sort of."

Presto looked up and grinned, an odd site for someone covered from head to toe in talcum powder.

"I guess," he replied, then started laughing himself.

It was several minutes before they had all calmed down enough to begin moving again. The Magician managed to get himself cleaned up as they walked by being a little more specific with his requests, and they started looking for a prospective camp-site. They soon found a suitable spot, hidden from the path, and made their preparations for a night in the open.

Eric was feeling much more optimistic now. Maybe this would be the one, maybe not, but they still had to try. He smiled as he watched his friends lie down before lying back himself. It seemed that Presto's earlier mistake had worked wonders for their morale as it wasn't long before they were all asleep.

-X-

Sheila and Elleeka continued working for the remainder of the afternoon and well into the evening. As they came to a halt Sheila surveyed their work. The washing had been done, the dusting completed, dinner prepared and eaten, clean sheets were on the beds, and Elleeka was now in her nightdress. The only thing left to do was the windows, and they could wait until the morning.

She gave a sigh of relief and collapsed down into a chair. Elleeka quickly climbed up to sit on her knee, and Sheila put her arms around her. She closed her eyes. She felt exhausted but was not willing to break her earlier promise.

"What game do you want to play?" she asked wearily.

"Oh, I forgot about that," Elleeka replied sleepily. "Can you tell me a story instead?"

Sheila smiled; glad to have been offered such an easy alternative. She recalled a tale that she had loved from the moment she had first heard it, even though she couldn't remember who it had been who told it to her.

"Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a king and queen who had everything they wanted except for one thing," she began.

"What did they want?" Elleeka queried.

"They wanted a child," she answered. "And one day they got their wish when the queen gave birth to a daughter."

"What did they call her?"

Sheila smiled indulgently, deciding on her reply. "They called her Elleeka."

"Really!" the girl cried.

"Yes, really, well at least in this story they did," Sheila replied. "Now no more interruptions or you won't get to hear how it ends."

By the time Sheila had finished her narration of Sleeping Beauty, the girl on her lap was barely awake. Sheila gently lowered her to the floor, helped her walk across the room and up the ladder to her room and into bed.

"Where's Voni?" Elleeka mumbled sleepily, sitting up to search for something.

"Voni?" Sheila asked, not knowing what she meant.

"Voni, my doll, she was in my pocket," the girl murmured.

Sheila remembered finding a tiny cloth doll in the dress Elleeka had been wearing earlier and had placed it on the shelf, wondering where it had come from. Retrieving it now she handed it to Elleeka and guessed it must by Voni from the relieved smile that flashed across the child's face as she settled back down. Sheila then tucked Elleeka in for the night and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before silently climbing back down to the room below.

She walked back to the spot they had vacated a few minutes ago to collect the candle lantern from the table and moved it to the window ledge at the front of the house. Using a cloth to clean away a circle of dirt Sheila peered out into the night.

She looking towards the nearby village, a place just over thirty minutes walk away, that they had carefully avoided on their journey back home. Any lamps from the houses below were obscured from her view by the numerous trees so she turned her attention skywards to the stars twinkling above.

Further away, to the south, she caught sight of a light, dancing in the darkness. She had not seen any buildings in that area when she had looked out earlier, so guessed that it might be a campfire rather than the light from someone's home.

She found herself wondering about it. _Was it a group of people, or a lone traveller?_ She was drawn to the latter idea, a young man, all alone, searching for his princess; a princess with red hair and green eyes maybe.

She sighed softly and gave a whimsical smile. A princess with red hair, green eyes, and a little girl to take care of was not how it went in fairy tales. _Well, a girl can dream, can't she_, she thought to herself, and then added aloud, talking to the unknown figure in the darkness.

"Maybe you are my prince."

She smiled again, grabbed the lantern and extinguished its light when she reached her bed, settling down for the night to dream of her mythical prince.

-X-

Hank was sitting close to the small fire. He had been there for the last half hour watching the stars appear in the night sky as the sunlight faded. The Realms moons were not visible tonight, hidden behind thick clouds, but that only served to make the lights in the distance appear brighter. One by one they vanished, until only one remained; a solitary beacon that had him transfixed.

He couldn't be sure from this distance, but it seemed to him that this last light was not from Chand but from some point farther up on the hillside beyond. Perhaps it was someone out for a walk, but it didn't look like it was moving, so he surmised that it was simply a home set some way above the town. He shrugged his shoulders and, still watching the horizon, thought back to his journey from when he had left the crossroads that morning.

It had been a quiet and uneventful day. He had set a brisk pace, but had covered a shorter distance than he had expected due to the fact that he had been walking uphill the entire time. He had only seen a handful of people since he had set out, two or three who had been heading the opposite way and later, a few fellow southbound travellers, who he have overtaken.

By now they should have caught up with him but he suspected that they would have detoured off the main trail to spend the night in an inn rather than risk the open road. He had considered that option for himself but chose instead to avoid any settlements, preferring the solitude for now.

He had begun looking for a place to spend the night once the first sun had set and discovered his current location as the third sun disappeared from view. He had quickly gathered wood for a fire in the remaining light before relaxing, tired from a days hard walking.

He continued to watch the light in the distance, unable to take his eyes from it. It felt like it was calling to him somehow, beckoning him towards it. He laughed at the absurdity of the idea and forced himself to turn away. A moment later he snapped his head back around to look again. It was as though someone had called out to him, like a sirens call, commanding that he obey.

The light then flickered out leaving the hillside shrouded in darkness.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

He had just spent the entire day travelling away from that hill. Now he knew with absolute certainty that he should have been heading towards it, finding the source of the light and the person who had just called him. He lay down and closed his eyes, determined to get some rest and retrace his steps in the morning.

-X-

A special note of thanks to Mistress Scribbles for help with Presto's rhyming.


	3. Chapter 3: Playtime and a Picnic

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 3 – Playtime and a Picnic**

"Ninety-six. Ninety-seven. Ninety-eight." Elleeka counted breathlessly.

"Keep going," Sheila encouraged, her fingers crossed behind her back as she watched.

"Ninety-nine. One hundred. One hundred and one. One hundred and oh!"

Elleeka stopped as her foot caught on the rope and tangled around her legs.

"Well done," Sheila praised as she knelt down and tried, unsuccessfully, to pull the girl into a hug.

"I did it. I did it." Elleeka cried excitedly. "I did a hundred without stopping."

"I knew you could," Sheila replied, managing to finally give the child a cuddle.

"It's your turn now," Elleeka stated as she pulled away and held out the skipping rope to Sheila.

"You know I'm not very good at this," she replied.

"You promised," the girl reminded her.

"OK, but I won't get anywhere near one hundred," she commented, kicking off her shoes and taking the offered rope.

The last time Sheila remembered using a skipping rope was when she had been about ten years old, and it was only after three or four false starts that she finally got going. As she expected, she got nowhere near the one hundred target, getting tangled up at thirty two skips, much to Elleeka's delight.

"I need a rest," she declared. "You have another go."

Elleeka took the rope and set off skipping again while Sheila sat a short distance away and watched. She began picking the daisies around her and started stringing them together.

"What are you doing?" Elleeka asked, coming to sit beside her.

"Making a necklace," Sheila replied and reached forward to hang the completed chain around the girl's neck.

"Oh, it's made of flowers," Elleeka exclaimed. "Can I have a go?"

Sheila smiled as Elleeka watched, transfixed, while she was shown how to make a daisy chain. She quickly got the hang of it and the pair sat quietly, each working on their own chains.

Having been up early, completing the housework before dawn, followed by a busy morning of games with Elleeka, Sheila was making the most of the rest and, as her fingers worked, her mind began to wander. Her thoughts turned to her day-dream from yesterday, of the mysterious stranger in the distance with only his campfire for company.

Having already decided that he was a young man, near her own age, she began adding extra details to her fantasy. Tall, dark, and handsome was her first; fleeting thought, but this was immediately amended to tall, fair, and handsome. She smiled to herself, picturing him in her mind, gazing at her with deep blue eyes and returning her smile.

There was only one slight problem; he wasn't real. But that little fact hadn't stopped her from sneaking a quick peek out of the window just before dawn, hoping that the light would still be there. It had been no great surprise to find it gone, but she had not expected to feel quite so disappointed by its absence.

However, despite knowing it was all imaginary, she resolved to still think about him. After all, it was not very probable that she would even see another person besides Elleeka this far north, let alone find love, so her dreams were all she had. She and Elleeka were isolated. Sheila was sure that the people of the nearby village had no reason to know of their existence and she intended to keep it that way.

Thinking of the village did have the effect of ending her more pleasant ideas. It was not a safe place to step foot in. The people who lived there were not friendly, at least as far as she remembered they weren't, and the village, along with its inhabitants, were to be avoided at all costs.

"Sheila, can we have a picnic?"

"What?" Sheila turned her head to face Elleeka, startled from her private contemplation by the little girl's question.

"Can we have a picnic?" Elleeka repeated.

Sheila considered her request briefly. They had plenty of supplies and the suns were shining. It sounded like a perfect end to such an enjoyable day.

"Ok," Sheila replied, getting to her feet and holding out her hand to Elleeka. "Let's go and get ready."

"Yeah," Elleeka cried, springing up and taking the offered hand. "We can have pies and cakes and orange juice and sandwiches and strawberries and jelly and biscuits and sandwiches and …"

"Whoa, slow down. We don't have half of those things," Sheila cut in. "And even if we did, there are only two of us. You'll have to make do with sandwiches, boiled eggs, apples and juice."

"Ok," Elleeka agreed cheerfully. "Come on, hurry up."

She tugged free of Sheila's hand and ran towards the house. Sheila followed at a more leisurely pace and headed straight for the kitchen once inside.

"Now, what would you like on your sandwiches," Sheila asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"Cherry jam," Elleeka shouted, a big grin on her face.

"Are you sure?" Sheila teased, already reaching for one of several jars from the cupboard.

"Yep," Elleeka replied, nodding her head to emphasise her choice.

Too excited to help, Elleeka chatted happily while Sheila prepared for their outing.

"Can I go swimming?" Elleeka asked suddenly, already heading for the ladder to her room.

"Not today," Sheila replied immediately.

"Why?" Elleeka queried.

"Because last time you wouldn't come out of the water and I ended up having to go in and get you; that's why."

"I'll be good this time," Elleeka stated.

"It's too late in the day for swimming," Sheila added. "Your hair won't have time to dry before bedtime."

"Please," Elleeka begged.

"Not today," Sheila answered firmly. "We can go back to the pool tomorrow morning instead."

"But," the girl began.

"No buts, kiddo. Take it or leave it," Sheila said sternly.

"Can we make cupcakes afterwards?"

"Yes." Sheila answered, after quickly checking the cupboard for ingredients. "Standard or fairy?"

"Both," Elleeka replied and, after a brief pause, she then asked, "why don't we see the fairies anymore?"

"You know as well as I do that fairies only let you see them when they want you to," Sheila reminded her. "We can leave some cakes out tonight and you can keep watch."

Elleeka seemed pleased with that suggestion and stood quietly as Sheila packed everything they needed into a small bag. Sheila then moved across the room and pulled a blanket from the back of the wardrobe. She paused a moment, looking at her feet before deciding against changing her shoes to the long brown boots she often wore. Even though she had said no swimming, they could still paddle in the stream, and her current footwear made that easier. The picnic blanket could then double up as a towel when they were done. She turned to see Elleeka hovering expectantly by the door.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming," Sheila called and quickly joined her.

They had both just stepped outside when Elleeka spoke. "My rope!"

"Do you really need it," Sheila asked.

Yes, my da… It's my favourite," Elleeka replied.

"OK, but hurry up," Sheila said, opening the door for her with a sigh.

Elleeka darted back inside and hastily retrieved her skipping rope from where she had dropped it and they were finally off.

A short time later they had relocated to a spot by the hillside stream. The stream widened at this point, forming a small, picturesque pool, and it was only a ten minute walk from their home. It was a long time since Sheila had last been on a picnic, and she was enjoying this one immensely. Elleeka was clearly having fun and they were now sat together on an overhanging rock, their feet trailing in the water as they relaxed after their meal.

"Can you tell me about the Sleeping Princess again?" Elleeka asked.

"Again!" Sheila replied. "You don't want a different story?"

"No, I like that one," the child stated. "You can tell me a new story at bedtime."

"Oh, I can, can I," Sheila commented.

Elleeka just nodded and Sheila rolled her eyes. "OK, Sleeping Beauty it is then."

Sheila got all the way through the tale without interruption, but Elleeka began asking questions as soon as it ended.

"How did the prince know about the princess after a hundred years?"

"What do you mean 'how did he know'?" Sheila queried.

"How did he know she was there? Who told him?" Elleeka clarified.

"I'm not sure," Sheila replied, "but I like to think the fairies told him in a dream."

Elleeka appeared to consider this for a moment before answering.

"I think the fairies told him too," she agreed. "Are all the stories you know about princes and princesses?"

Sheila smiled. "No, not all of them, but they're the ones I like best," she admitted.

"Why do you like them the best?" Elleeka asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Sheila replied. "The romance. The chivalry. The enchantment."

Her smile became more wistful and she leaned back, coming to rest on the soft grass behind her. Elleeka copied her move so that the pair lay side by side, looking at the sky, their legs dangling over the edge of the bank, their feet still in the water.

"The hero dashing to the rescue," Sheila continued. "The first kiss. The happily ever after."

"Do they always kiss?" Elleeka asked.

"Of course," Sheila replied, turning slightly to face the girl. "The hero always gets to kiss the heroine," she whispered. "It's a kind of unwritten law."

Sheila watched as Elleeka seemed to think about this and smiled. The girl looked so serious, a barely audible 'Oh' being the only verbal response to this new 'information'.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Both Sheila and Elleeka sat up quickly and turned to find three men heading towards them. Sheila's hand instinctively reached for the hood of the blue cloak that she always wore outdoors, but did not finish the move. While she would have easily been able to disappear had she been alone, there was Elleeka to consider, so she remained visible.

Sheila had never seen anyone else this high up the hillside before, so had not been as alert as she usually tended to be. In fact, she had been so relaxed; she hadn't even heard the men's approach until they had actually spoken. As the men came to a halt Sheila scrambled to her feet, practically dragging Elleeka up with her, and clutched the child's hand protectively.

The man who had spoken was tall, of a heavy build, had light brown hair and, like his companions, had a large hunting knife strapped to his waist. He also smelt strongly of beer, which would explain why he appeared to sway slightly as he stood.

Sheila glanced at the other two men. One of them looked to be in a similar state of intoxication and, although of a small stature, he was still much bigger than she was. He also bore a strong physical resemblance to the first, with the same light brown hair, a similar facial structure and dark, leering eyes, so Sheila guessed they were brothers.

The last man, with jet black hair, at least looked sober. He was the smallest of the three but something about the way he stood told Sheila that he was the one in charge. They had to be from the village and, knowing that meant trouble, she decided a quick exit was called for.

"We were just leaving," Sheila said, her voice shaking more than she would have liked.

She made a tentative step to her left, hoping to circle the men and collect their belonging, which were unfortunately behind the trio.

"Why the hurry?" The first man slurred, taking a step to his right to block their path.

Sheila felt Elleeka squeeze her hand tightly and she squeezed back gently, wanting to reassure her. Trying to stay calm herself, she kept her tone friendly as she responded, turning her gaze momentarily south as she did so, hoping to give the impression that they did not live so close by.

"It's getting late and we need to get home before nightfall."

"I thought witches liked the dark," the second man jeered.

"Please, we'll just collect our things and be on our way," Sheila stated.

"Not so fast," the dark haired man growled, speaking for the first time.

He glared at them. Sheila shuddered upon seeing what could only be described as pure hatred in his eyes and Elleeka gave a little squeak of terror.

"You plague our crops; bewitch our people; torment our village and you think we'll just 'let you be on you way'," he sneered. "Grab them."

The two brothers darted forwards but Sheila was quicker. She ducked out of reach and pulled Elleeka out of harms way at the same time.

"Run!" Sheila called, unnecessarily, as both she and Elleeka headed for the woods.

Sheila had counted on being able to talk their way out of trouble, making a dash for it being a last resort. As it was they had had no choice, but running barefoot across rough ground was not a good idea. She gritted her teeth as stones and twigs cut into her feet, and Elleeka cried out in pain as they ran.

Sheila shot a quick glance over her shoulder to see the two brothers in pursuit and, to her dismay, their current state of intoxication did not seem to be slowing them down in the slightest. The gap between them was closing and Sheila realised their only hope was to find a hiding place, fast. She spotted a large tree a short distance away and turned towards it, still clutching at Elleeka. If they could get behind it, out of sight, then they could stop and she could use her cloak to cover them both.

She felt her arm jerk and lost her grip on Elleeka's hand as the child fell. Their pursuers were closing in and the smaller brother grabbed Elleeka before Sheila was able to get her back up. Both men now held the girl, who was kicking and screaming, and Sheila flew at them.

"Let her go," she screamed, desperately trying to claw their hands off the child.

Spotting a large stick, Sheila grabbed it. "I said, let go," she yelled, swinging it round and smacking the larger man hard across his chest.

At the same moment Elleeka landed a lucky kick with her heel on the second man's shin and she was freed. Seeing this, Sheila dropped her make shift weapon and pulled Elleeka from between the men.

"Run!" she called, pushing the girl in front of her.

There was a sharp tug at the back of her head. The first man had recovered from the impact and held a handful of her hair. His brother quickly moved to help him, pinning her arms painfully behind her back, causing her to cry out. Her shout must have alerted Elleeka, as the child stopped and turned to face Sheila.

"Elleeka, go!" Sheila shrieked. "Run."

Elleeka did as ordered and raced off through the trees, much to Sheila's relief.

Her relief was short lived. The first man moved to stand before her. He leaned forward, his face mere inches from hers and she automatically turned her head, the stench of state beer on his breath was nauseating. He seized her chin roughly and forced her to face him.

"You'll pay for that, witch," he spat.

Her head suddenly snapped sharply to her right from the force of the blow that she hadn't even seen coming. Sheila groaned. She could taste blood, the left side of her face was throbbing and her neck hurt.

"Argh," she cried, not quite which bit of her hurt more, as the man holding her arms pulled them up even harder.

The man in front of her turned her head so she was facing him again.

"Please," she gasped.

He laughed, raised his hand and struck her again. Once again her head was sent spinning and she slumped forwards, hardly even aware of the extra pressure on her arms as a result. The man pulled her head around for a third time.

"Nothing to say," he sneered.

"Enough!" The dark hair man had appeared from nowhere, cutting in as the first man raised his hand once more. "Bring her," he ordered.

The larger man looked disappointed, but obeyed the command. He took one of her arms from his brother and the pair followed the smaller man, dragging Sheila between them. She tried to struggle as they walked, but her attempts to free herself seemed feeble. Her head and neck ached, and every movement sent pain shooting up her arms.

It was only about a minute before Sheila found herself back beside the pool where she had been sat with Elleeka. She was thrown to the ground and then held in place by the foot of one of the brothers pressing hard into her back. Just in front of her she could see the blanket she had brought for their picnic, the bag and their shoes still in the spot they had left them.

The dark haired man bent over and picked something up from the ground. As he stood up, Sheila was able to see what he had retrieved, Elleeka's skipping rope. She ceased struggling for a moment and waited, wondering what he was going to do next, wondering what he wanted the rope for.

As Sheila watched he sliced it in two and tossed the pieces to his friends. It was only when she felt her arms being pulled together that she realised they were tying her wrists. She started struggling again and her head was shoved down, gaining her a mouthful of dirt for her trouble. The rope was cutting into her skin and she felt rough hands grab her ankles as they too were lashed together.

She tried to push her fear to the back of her mind. With Elleeka out of their reach, a split second to flick up her hood was all she needed, but that plan counted on her hands being free, not pinned painfully behind her. She cried out as her hair was grabbed for a second time and pulled upwards, forcing her to her knees.

"Let me go," she pleaded, looking at their leader as he walked towards her. "Please, I arrckk…."

"Silence," the dark haired man ordered as his hand closed around her throat, cutting off her airway.

Unable to move and now unable to breath she began to panic. She needed to figure out how to escape, but all she could focus on was the sound of cruel laughter all around her. Her eyes had begun to water, blurring her vision, when he unexpectedly released her. Sheila tried again to move but the brothers were standing on either side of her, each clutching an arm tightly, holding her firmly in place.

"You have cast your spells on our people, confusing them," the man before her stated.

"No," Sheila gasped in disbelief.

"You cursed our crops, ordering the ground to rain down and cover them," the man continued.

"No, I didn't," Sheila protested.

"You stole food from our village," he persisted, ignoring Sheila's attempts to defend herself. "And you sent a demon to terrorise us."

Sheila had no idea what he was talking about. All she did know was none of these things were her doing.

"You are guilty of witchcraft…"

"No," Sheila croaked. "I'm not a witch."

He bent forwards and Sheila noticed the small medallion he was wearing for the first time. It was simplistic in design, circular in shape, with a single line through an image of a five pointed star. What little hope she had left vanished. The symbol represented the Urla tribe, an obscure and dangerous group with few people in the Realm even knowing of its existence, and the medallion identified the tribe chieftain.

Sheila had encountered the tribe somewhere before but could not remember when or where. Not that that mattered now. From what little she did know, she realised her situation was hopeless. They believed her to be the source of their troubles and there was nothing she, or anyone else, could say that would convince them otherwise.

They despised magic and sorcery and were very stubborn, unwilling to listen to reason. In addition, they were extremely suspicious of outsiders and went to great lengths to avoid anyone from discovering their whereabouts. She doubted that the people of Chand would even realised they had members of the Urla in such close proximity.

"You are guilty of witchcraft," the dark haired man repeated, "and will face the consequences. The punishment is death."

The two brothers, acting on this, dragged her the short distance to the waterside. They stopped at the edge of the pool and she stared into the clear water. Sheila wasn't sure whether to be scared or relieved. She knew she was about to be executed, but compared with the alternative.

On occasion, the Urla had been known to keep their victims alive for weeks, torturing them, allowing the whole tribe to extract their revenge before finally killing them. At least her death was to be quick.

One of the brothers grabbed a handful of hair and she managed a quick intake of breath before her head was shoved beneath the surface. The water was cold, and she had to fight the urge to gasp. The small amount of air she had managed to snatch was not going to last her long and she held her breath until it became unbearable.

Everything seemed to have slowed down. The water was hurting her eyes and ears, and her head was spinning. Water was getting in, seeping into her lungs. She couldn't focus. It was getting darker and darker and …

-X-


	4. Chapter 4: A Curious Encounter

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 4 – A Curious Encounter**

Something wasn't right. He didn't feel cold, so it wasn't that, but something was definitely wrong. He lay perfectly still, trying to figure it out for several seconds before he finally realised what the problem was. His mattress, that was it, it was too hard and it smelt weird, it smelt like, grass. Grass! He opened his eyes and groaned. He had been dreaming, dreaming of home, dreaming that he had been in his own bed, safe and comfortable, not sharing a small patch of grass with three friends and a baby unicorn.

He sat up, put his glasses on, and looked around. Diana was the only one up, no great surprise there, and she smiled as soon as she spotted him. Presto grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling stiff from a night on solid ground, but made no move towards her, not wanting to interrupt her exercise.

Even though he had smiled he wasn't feeling particularly cheerful that morning. He was homesick, certainly not for the first time, but it was always worse after he had been dreaming of life before the Realm. He desperately wanted to talk to someone about home but found his options very limited. He glanced back towards the Acrobat, feeling she was the best choice available, but she was completely focused on some impossible looking stretch of some kind and he chose not to break her concentration.

Turning to his left he saw Eric was still sound asleep and the Magician was sure the Cavalier would not appreciate being woken up because he wanted a chat, which left the Barbarian. Even though Bobby was now awake, speaking to him about how he was feeling wasn't really an option. He was too young to offer the support Presto needed and the Barbarian was probably feeling even worse than he did when it came to homesickness. He remembered their discussion yesterday, where Bobby had clearly been missing his family and friends, and knew that bringing the subject up with him again would be a mistake.

Thinking about Bobby's melancholy naturally made him think of his own family. He missed his parents but he hated to admit that his time in the Realm had made him realise he barely knew them. His mother was an oceanographer, dedicated to her work, and his dad was equally committed to his own research as a seismologist. Both of them worked long, unsociable, hours and, although he knew they loved him, they had very little time left over for him.

However, dwelling on his less than ideal relationship with his parents was not doing anything to help his mood so he began thinking about absent friends instead, not that he had many to choose from. He could count all of his friends on the digits of one hand meaning only two were currently missing from the select group.

Hank was the one who frequently came to his rescue when he found himself cornered by school bullies and he wondered what the older boy would make of orcs, lizardmen and a whole host of strange creatures, the Realms bullies. Knowing Hank, he would probably take it all in his stride and be right up front fighting off the bad guys.

The Magician honestly wasn't sure if he was glad or not that Hank was safely back home, oblivious to the very existence of a world where dragons, demons and magic were a frightening reality. Presto always felt more confident when he was with Hank, and he would certainly be a valuable asset to their team, but he did not like the thought of even more of his friends being in daily danger.

And then there was Sheila, Bobby's big sister. With her at least he was relieved that she was not here. Despite knowing she would be absolutely frantic about her brother's disappearance he would never want her exposed to the terrors of the Realm, but it was times like this when he missed her the most. With her naturally caring nature, the quiet and shy redhead would be prefect right now as the best person to talk to about how homesick he felt, a contradiction perhaps, given she was one of the people he was homesick for.

He sighed sadly and rested his head on his hands, staring straight ahead but not focusing on anything in particular when he suddenly felt his arms being pushed aside as a small unicorn head appeared beneath it.

"Hiya, Uni. Have you come to cheer me up?" he asked.

"Meah," she responded, though whether she understood or not Presto couldn't be sure.

"Guess you'll do," the Magician stated, stroking her soft mane and finding it actually was helping him to feel better.

"What's for breakfast?" the Barbarian shouted over from where he had just sat up a few meters away.

_Trust his first words of the day to be about food_, Presto thought.

"What would you like?" he asked.

"Cotton candy," the boy replied hopefully, making his way over.

"Dream on, Barbarian," Diana cut in as she walked towards them. "You're not having cotton candy for breakfast. Besides, it's Presto's turn to decide what we have."

The Magician grinned, feeling better by the minute now that he had some distraction from his gloomy thoughts, and he always found it oddly amusing when the Acrobat took the roll of surrogate big sister in Sheila's absence. He pondered the question of what he wanted for a moment or two before removing his hat and pictured it in his mind.

"Some pancakes please, for us to eat. Add maple syrup to make then sweet."

The hat began to glow and he concentrated hard until a large, white, tray appeared, perfectly laid out with four very generous helpings of syrup coated pancakes.

"Mmm, something smell good," Eric commented, plonking himself down beside his friend and grabbing a plate.

"Help yourself, Eric, why don't you," the Acrobat said mockingly.

"No point letting them go cold," he mumbled between bites.

The remaining three plates quickly vanished from the tray and their contents began to be devoured.

"Wow Presto, they were great," Diana praised when they had all eaten their fill.

"Yeah, even better than the ones from Carrie's Diner," Eric remarked.

"Nothing's better that Carrie's," the Magician argued.

"Well, they're a very close second then," the Cavalier replied.

"Meah," Uni agreed.

"What would you know," Eric quipped. "You eat grass and don't even know what a diner is."

"Leave her alone, Eric," the Barbarian snapped, leaping to the unicorns defence.

"OK, OK," Eric murmured.

Presto thought he was about to say something more about the unicorn but he seemed to think better of it and changed the topic instead.

"I guess we should get moving."

There were groans all round at this suggestion but they knew the Cavalier was right and began preparing, albeit slowly, to continue their search. Ten minutes later they were back on the path heading north, with Chand finally out of sight for good.

Presto was walking alongside Eric, with Diana, Bobby and Uni a short distance ahead. He could hear snippets of conversation every so often and, from what he could make out, it sounded like they were currently discussing the best combination of ice-cream to make the perfect sundae. Talking about food would keep the Barbarian occupied for some time, a very clever idea on Diana's part he concluded.

"Any new ideas on the riddle?" he asked Eric.

He knew his friend probably didn't, he would had said something if he had, but it was as good a subject as any right now.

"No," came the short, sharp reply.

The Magician pressed on regardless.

"The only thing I can think of is that someone has lost some kind of device that can open a portal but they haven't noticed it's missing yet."

The Cavalier made no reply so Presto continued, more thinking aloud at this point than actually expecting a two way discussion.

"The only problem with that is you have to know you have lost something to be looking for it and Dungeon Master said they don't know they are seeking, but then how can you be seeking something without knowing that you're seeking something, unless you start looking and then forget what it is you're looking for, but then…."

"Give it up, Presto," Eric interrupted. "I'm starting to think DM's just made up some junk that makes no sense, has nothing to do with anything, all to make us think he actually knows what he's doing."

"He's never let us down yet," the Magician stated calmly.

"Then why can't he just tell us straight for once and quit with the dumb riddles?"

Presto had no answer to that. In a way his friend was right, it would be simpler if the old wizard was less cryptic with his assistance, but that clearly wasn't the way Dungeon Master did things and, the really irritating thing was, the riddles always did make sense, once you knew the answer of course.

"I'm sorry," Eric continued. "It's just his clues are so… so…"

"Frustrating," Presto offered.

"And annoying and baffling, and vague and… and annoying."

"Yeap," Presto agreed.

"We'll figure it out," Eric assured him after a long pause.

"Eventually," Presto remarked. "I just wish…"

He stopped, his attention caught by a strawberry blonde, middle aged woman coming from the opposite direction. The others didn't seem to have noticed anything odd, having acknowledged her with nothing more that a polite 'good morning', but he sensed it, and he was certain Eric sensed it too.

She was looking at him and the Cavalier with intense, unblinking, green eyes, and Presto knew magic was a part of her. He could almost feel the power emanating from her. As they drew level the woman was still staring at the two of them, as though she was aware of their thoughts and feelings until, at the last moment, she nodded her head in greeting before turning away and continuing on the path to Chand.

"That was, weird," the Magician whispered.

"I'll say," Eric agreed. "I wonder who, or what, she was?"

"Dunno, but I hope we never get on the wrong side of her," Presto remarked.

The pair set off again, having unconsciously stopped as the stranger had passed them. After a few more minutes of walking Eric addressed his friends.

"Presto, did she seem familiar to you?"

"No, why?" he replied, realising that for some reason be could not actually remember what she had looked liked. "Do you think you've seen her before?"

"No, I've never seen her before," Eric confirmed. "I'd have remembered if I had, but, oh, I don't know, there was just something about her."

Seeing the Cavalier wanted time to reflect on their curious encounter, and finding it odd that he had managed to forget the woman's physical appearance after such a short period of time, Presto chose not to continue the conversation and they walked on in silence.

-X-

Eric had been walking for several hours without speaking, something he was beginning to do more and more often, especially when he had a lot of thinking to do. The Magician had long since given up trying to get him to talk, having joined Diana, Bobby and Uni up front some time ago.

His mind kept flitting between worrying about his friends, the responsibility he had for their safety and trying, in vain, to figure out an unfathomable riddle, though hoping all the same that this really would be the one to lead them home. However, mostly his thoughts were occupied by the woman they had seen that morning.

She had seemed familiar somehow, yet unfamiliar at the same time. He couldn't understand it, and he didn't like things he didn't understand, and it was bugging him, knowing she had reminded him of someone but not knowing who.

"ERIC!"

"Wah! Diana!" He stopped abruptly, having nearly collided with the Acrobat.

"Are you OK?" she enquired as they both continued walking.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Guess I should watch where I'm going, right?"

"It's usually safer that way," she commented with a smile.

He scowled, but not in an unfriendly way and Diana laughed.

"What's on your mind," she asked, "and don't say nothing."

"Just trying to figure out what we need to do to find this portal," he informed her with a sigh.

"And?" she prompted.

"And, nothing."

"I told you not to say, 'nothing'," she remarked. "I know something else is bothering you."

"You're too perceptive for your own good," he grunted.

"I'm single minded when I want to be too," she informed him. "Now spill it."

"It's that woman we passed earlier," he admitted.

She looked at him in surprise. "I'd almost forgotten about her," she stared.

"You didn't notice anything 'odd' about her?"

"No, from what I remember, she seemed ordinary enough to me. I take it you disagree," she replied.

"Not really. I can't describe it. Maybe I've just been here too long," he sighed. "I'm starting to see oddness everywhere."

She laughed at the deliberately comical and over dramatised voice he used for his last statement and he took his chance to turn the conversation.

"What did you stop for anyway? I'm guessing you had something in particular you wanted me for."

"What, oh yeah, we might need to begin looking for some shelter. I think I heard thunder in the distance and there are a lot of dark clouds gathering."

They both automatically looked up as she said this.

"Good idea," he agreed, but a little annoyed with himself for failing to have noticed the weather change.

We'd better tell Presto and Bobby to keep an eye out then," she said, linking her arm through his and forcing him to speed up so they could catch up with their friends.

-X-

It was nearly two hours since Diana had drawn his attention to the approaching storm and the rain had started about ten minutes ago. Fortunately the Magician had managed to produce two extra large, multi-coloured, golf umbrellas and was now busy attempting to get a tent. The Cavalier was trying not to laugh as he watched his friends.

"I said _tent_, not Trent," the Magician mumbled as he hastily shoved a model of basketball player Trent Tucker back into the hat.

"Hey, what about there," Bobby shouted.

Eric looked up to see the Barbarian pointing to a rocky overhang in the hillside. It didn't look very deep but as long as the wind didn't change direction it would keep them dry and it was certainly better than nothing.

"Well done, Bobby," he called, "just what we needed."

The boy looked please with his find and Eric let him proudly lead the way, with Diana at his side, to the spot he had seen.

The actual area sheltered from the rain was small but adequate for their needs and Eric, Diana, Presto and Uni were soon sitting against the rock, watching the continuous flow of water outside. Only Bobby had remained standing and he was currently at the edge of the overhang with one arm outstretched, palm upwards to catch rain drops. Eric could see that he was fed up and an evening stuck in a tiny cave was unlikely to do anything to ease his boredom.

"Presto, see if you can rustle up something to do, a game or something," he said as he got back to his feet and wandered over to the boy.

"Damn rain," he commented in a low voice, knowing his choice of word would get the Barbarians attention.

Bobby turned his head to look at him.

"Not been a very exciting day, has it," Eric said.

The Barbarian shook his head.

"Come on, Presto's working on this evening's entertainment," the Cavalier continued.

He's not gonna do card tricks is he?" Bobby asked.

"He'd better not be," Eric groaned, making the Barbarian snigger.

They were turned away from the opening when the sound of banging and scrapping outside stopped them and they both stuck their heads out to see what was happening. Upon seeing stones sliding down the hillside the Cavalier shoved Bobby back inside but was unable to get out of their path himself. His shield was too far away to be of any use, lying out of reach at the back of their shelter and he knew he was in trouble.

Then, in that last second, before the rocks crashed down on him, it came to him, the answer to the puzzle that had eluded him all day. While the resemblance hadn't been striking, the woman shared some strong similarities such as facial structure, the shape and shade of her eyes and the same smooth, pale skin tone as his friend Sheila.

-X-


	5. Chapter 5: Intervention

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 5 - Intervention**

Hank's eyes snapped open as he sat up abruptly. He had an odd feeling of being watched and his bow was ready as he looked around cautiously. His eye was drawn to the hillside he had been scrutinizing the night before and he instantly spotted the tiny, flickering, light about two-thirds of the way up the slope. A few seconds later it was gone. It was not possible for someone that far away to have seen him but he knew their presence was what had woken him so suddenly and he lowered his weapon as he relaxed.

He had not planned on quite such an early start to the day, the first sun was only just peaking over the horizon, but he now had a new sense of urgency, telling him to get moving. If he hadn't been sure before, he was now. He had to find the person behind that light, and he had to find them quickly.

The road back to Chand was surprisingly busy given the early hour, filled with several travellers all heading in the same direction as Hank. He was curious to find out where they were all going but, as he overtook them at various intervals, he caught snippets of conversation that answered his question. It turned out that there was to be a festival of celebration with an open invitation to all the surrounding villages.

Many of his fellow travellers clearly knew one another and the groups he encountered grew larger in size the nearer to the town he got. Without exception they were all friendly. Everyone had a smile, a wave, or a simple hello for him as he passed. Several asked him to walk with them, or offered him a ride on the back of carts or wagons, which he politely refused. While a break from walking would have been welcome, the speed at which everyone was moving was fairly slow and he had set himself a target of reaching yesterday's starting point by midday.

-X-

Hank achieved his self imposed noon deadline, arriving at the crossroads just as the town clock began striking the hour. He sat down on the grass to take a short rest and watched the various people as they passed. Most were arriving from the south, but every so often a few would appear from the opposite direction, all heading for Chand.

He thought briefly about his current lifestyle, travelling from place to place, always arriving when needed and then moving on again when his work was done. It wasn't something he had chosen to do, and he had no idea how he even knew where he was supposed to be, he just _knew_, as though some unseen force was guiding him.

He wondered if this was how it would always be. He hoped not. It wasn't that he was particularly unhappy with life, more the thought that there was something missing. He looked at the latest arrivals, a group of six, as they stopped momentarily in the middle of the crossing. From their banter they were obviously close friends and he sat watching them as the continued on towards the festivities.

Maybe that was it, the thing he was missing. If he just had someone to share it all with, friends to travel with, to laugh with, people he could count on to be there no matter what, people he could trust who trusted him in return. He wanted company; permanent, reliable, company.

He sighed softly and forced his mind back to his current task. He looked at the path behind him, heading straight up the hillside. _Time to get moving_ he told himself as he got to his feet and began walking, pushing the undergrowth aside as he followed the tiny trail.

-X-

Hank has seen no one since he had left the crossroads several hours ago. He was over half way up the slope by now and, while not expecting to see crowds of people, he had thought he would have seen something to indicate he was on the right track. The only signs of life he had seen so far had been the birds in the trees and a few small animals here and there, but nothing that could account for that light. Even the path had completely vanished.

He stopped climbing and turned to look back down the hill. He had been so sure that morning about his destination, but now he was not certain. If he turned around now he might have a chance of reaching Chand by nightfall. Storm clouds were gathering in the distance and it looked highly likely that a night in the rain was what he was facing if he didn't.

It made sense to forget his search for the unknown and go back to the town. He took a few hesitant steps south then stopped again. He thought back to when he had first seen the light, trying to recapture the moment in his mind. A sensation of being summoned swept over him, pushing his doubts aside and he quickly turned around once more, determined to continue his search.

Ten uneventful minutes passed before the noise from a large flock of birds rising into the air caught his attention. Something must have disturbed them he reasoned and he changed direction, working his way through the trees towards the first sign he had seen of anything out of the ordinary.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard something else and stopped, trying to decide what it was. It might have been someone shouting, but he couldn't be sure so he waited, hoping for more. Less than a minute later he got his wish and this time he recognised the sound immediately. Someone was screaming. Whoever it was, they were in trouble and he sprang into action, running towards where be believed the scream originated.

There was definitely something happening but the sound bounced off the trees making it difficult to pinpoint the source. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The danger was over or … or what. He didn't like to think. Hank knew he had to find them and he stopped running and listened again. There was a faint rustle to his left and he turned just in time to see a small girl appear from the bushes as she ploughed into him.

The impact was enough to knock her over and she screamed, hastily backing way from him.

"Easy, I won't hurt you," he said softly, kneeling down to her level.

Hank could see she was terrified, her eyes showing her fear, with tears running down her face. Her clothes were torn and he noticed a number of small cuts and scratches on her arms and legs, probably done when she had been racing through the trees.

"It's OK," he reassured her. "You're safe now."

She raised her head to look at him for the first time and gasped. Hank had expected her to be as surprised to see him as he had been to see her but, if anything, she seemed more puzzled than startled as she sat staring at him in silence.

"Are you hurt?" Hank asked.

She shook her head, still not speaking.

"I'm Hank," he informed her. "What's your name?"

"Elleeka," she whispered.

"Hi Elleeka," he replied. "What happened to frighten you?"

"Sheila, they've got Sheila," she shouted suddenly, scrambling to her feet and grabbing his hand. "They've got Sheila."

"Who's got Sheila?" He asked, wondering at the same time who Sheila was.

"The men. They got me, but I got away. Then they got Sheila," Elleeka answered, as though that explained everything.

"The men?" Hank repeated in bewilderment.

"Yes, the men, the men from the village. We had a picnic and played games and then three men came."

Hank listened as the child continued speaking, trying to find out what had happened.

"They frightened us, and we ran, and they chased us, and they got Sheila, and they hurt her." She stopped briefly and looked at him. "You have to help."

"I will," he assured her. "Can you take me to her?"

"I think so," Elleeka answered and, clutching his hand, she led him slowly through the woods.

Hank felt uneasy as they walked. It was too quiet. It seemed an age before Elleeka came to a stop and told him they were at the spot she had last seen Sheila. There was no one there now but he could see broken twigs, disturbed leaf matter, and numerous overlapping footprints in the soft ground, indicating there had been a struggle here.

"Hank?"

Elleeka was looking at him, clearly very scarred and in need of reassurance.

"We'll find her," her stated. "I promise."

He scanned the area and easily spotted the route the men must have taken with Sheila as they had not taken any trouble to cover their tracks. Either they had not expected anyone else to be close by or they simply weren't worried about being discovered. _Three men against one small girl hardly seems fair_, he thought and, still holding Elleeka's hand, he started making his way through the tress.

They hadn't gone far before Hank heard a voice ahead. It wasn't clear enough to make out the words, but he could tell the speaker was male. A few seconds later they reached the edge of the woods and Hank stopped abruptly, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing.

About ten meters in front of him was a dark haired man. He did not appear to have noticed Hank or Elleeka as he was busy watching his companions with a twisted expression of delight across his face. Hank too focused nearly all of his attention on what they were doing.

Two larger men were kneeling beside the water and pinned between them, also on her knees, was a girl who could only be Sheila. He could see they had bound her wrists and ankles and he watched in horror as one on the men suddenly grabbed the back of her head and pushed, forcing her face into the pool.

This was not what he had been expecting at all. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't this. The men weren't just trying to capture Sheila or hurt her; they were going to kill her. This whole situation was desperate, and deadly. Sheila was not what he had pictured either. Elleeka was only a little girl; that fact, combined with her description of what had happened meant he had assumed he was looking for another child of eight or nine, not someone nearer his own age.

Regardless of what he had or had not expected, Hank had already rushed forwards before the sound of Elleeka screaming alerted the men to their presence. The trio all seemed surprised to see them but not enough for them to release their captive. Only one of the pair holding Sheila let go as he jumped to his feet.

"Hold her," the dark haired man yelled to the men behind him. "Keep her under."

On hearing this Hank released his first arrow at the speaker's feet and quickly followed it with several more, forcing him back, step by step, until he was standing beside his companions. Hank had hoped his attack on their leader would have been enough of a distraction to make them release Sheila but, to his dismay, the largest man still had her head held firmly below the surface.

He had to do something, fast. He could see Sheila struggling but she was clearly weakening and would not be able to last much longer. At least now he was able to get a clear shot at the man holding her. It wasn't without risk, but he couldn't see any other available option.

Hank carefully took aim at the man's shoulder. He couldn't remember the last time he had had to concentrate so hard on a single arrow. He had to get this right, just enough energy to be painful, forcing him to let go, but not enough to cause any permanent damage. He let out the breath he had scarcely been aware of holding and fired.

The arrow hit its mark and the man lost his grip on Sheila as he fell, landing flat on his back in the shallow water with a yelp of pain. Sheila however did not move, her face remaining below the surface, despite the hand holding her having gone. Hank could see she was still struggling, trying to find the strength to lift her head, but the ground sloped down towards the pool making it a difficult manoeuvre even without the inability to breath.

Hank didn't waste any time as he continued firing, arrow after arrow, driving the men back as he made his way forwards. Upon reaching the waters edge he quickly bent down, slipped an arm around Sheila's waist, pulled her up and laid her down to one side. The gasp he heard as soon as her head was free was a huge relief, but he couldn't relax yet and he had another arrow poised and ready a moment later, having never taken his eyes off the trio before him.

"Go," Hank ordered, his voice cold with anger.

"Not without the witch," the dark haired man replied.

Hank released an arrow at the man's feet and was ready to fire again within seconds. "I said, go."

The man glared at him, and Hank stared back, determined not to be the one to look away first. No one moved for several minutes. The only sounds Hank could hear was Sheila's laboured breathing, slowly returning to normal, and the occasional post crying sniff from Elleeka who had crept to her side.

Finally the standoff was ended by the darker man.

"You have not heard the end of this," he hissed, before signalling to his companions to move.

Hank remained in his defensive position until he was sure they had gone before letting the last arrow fade and turning his full attention to Sheila and Elleeka.

Sheila was lying on her front in the spot where he had left her. Her head was turned to one side, towards the child beside her, but Hank could just make out through the mass of tangled hair covering her face that her eyes were closed. He could, however, see all too clearly the scratches on her feet, the hand shaped bruises on her upper arms and the rope burns around her wrists and ankles.

Sheila winced when he first touched the rope as he began cutting it away, proof that the marks he could see were as painful as they appeared to be. He wasted no time in freeing her and gently helped her to sit upright.

"Are you alright?" he asked, unsure of what to say in the circumstances.

She nodded in response before finally speaking. "Thank you," she whispered, still a little breathless.

"It's OK," he replied.

Hank sat quietly beside Sheila as he waited for her to recover, not certain as to what else he could do. After about a minute she lifted her head to look at him, brushing the hair from her face at the same time. He gasped as he saw her properly for the first time, the cut to her lip and the bruising down the left side of her face all too evident.

"What did they do to you?" he exclaimed.

"They thought I was a witch," she murmured.

"That's no excuse for this," he answered forcefully.

Sheila smiled shyly at him and he immediately smiled too. Despite the shock of seeing her injuries, and her currently state of disarray, he felt an instant attraction to her, with her beautiful, pale skin and enchanting emerald eyes, drawing him in. She was certainly the reason why he had felt compelled to come this way, and clearly his arrival had been very timely, but she also seemed hauntingly familiar, yet he knew she was a stranger to him.

He wondered what she was thinking, whether she felt any kind of recognition the way he did, but her expression showed nothing more than shock and relief, all very natural given what had just happened. Hank realised he was staring, but he didn't want to turn away from her, and his mind raced as he desperately tried to think of something sensible to say.

Just as the silence between then was beginning to become uncomfortable, Elleeka came to the rescue.

"Sheila, I got help."

Sheila turned and smiled at the girl as she took her hand. "Yes, you did. Thank you." She then turned back towards Hank. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I… I don't even know your name."

"This is Hank," Elleeka told her before Hank had chance to answer for himself. "He was in the woods and I found him and then we found you and then …"

"Elleeka, slow down," Sheila interrupted.

"But we did, and the men were hurting you but Hank stopped them and then he chased them away. But they hurt you."

Hank watched in silence as Elleeka's fast paced narrative came to an abrupt halt. The little girl looked as though she was close to tears again, the shock of what had just nearly happened hitting now that it was all over. He glanced at Sheila to see that she had obviously noticed this too as she now pulled Elleeka gently towards her to cuddle her.

"It's alright, Sweetie," Sheila assured her. "I'm OK, thanks to you, and Hank."

As Sheila said Hank's name she raised her head to look at him and smiled, the same shy, alluring, smile he had seen only a few minutes ago.

"Are you really OK?" he asked quietly.

Sheila nodded, but her face paled and her smile faded at Elleeka's next question.

"What if the men come back?"

"I don't think they will," Hank replied, "but I suggest we don't hang around here too long."

"Good idea," Sheila agreed as she stared to get to her feet.

Hank stopped her. "Let me get your things," he volunteered.

He first fetched the two pairs of shoes from the blanket a few meters away and handed then to Sheila and Elleeka respectively. He then quickly placed the rest of their belongings inside the small picnic bag while Sheila and Elleeka brushed the dirt from their feet before slipping on their shoes. Finally Hank helped Sheila to her feet, Elleeka having already jumped up without assistance.

"Do you have far to go?" he enquired.

"No," Sheila replied. "We live quite close to here."

Hank had not expected her to say yes, but he was more concerned than he had admitted about the possibility raised by Elleeka of the trio returning. It seemed that he had not convinced Sheila with his words either as she appeared equally worried and nervous. He didn't want to scare Elleeka by voicing his doubts aloud but he had no intention of leaving them alone, and not only because of the danger they could still be in.

He suddenly realized that he was staring at Sheila again. She was looking at him too, with equal intensity, so he quickly spoke to avoid an uneasy silence.

"I… erm… can… will you let me walk back with you," he asked, mentally kicking himself for how awkward he sounded.

To his relief Sheila didn't appear to notice, or at least didn't let it show if she did, as she smiled warmly to accept his offer. Elleeka however, was far more vocal on the subject, quickly letting her own wishes be know.

"Hank can come and stay with us, and we can have lots of fun, and he can make me a swing, and we can…"

"ELLEEKA!" Sheila cut in sharply, stopping the girl mid-flow.

Hank noticed that Sheila's face had, like his own, coloured slightly as she hastily continued.

"I'm sure Hank has other places he needs to be."

"But he doesn't," the girl replied. "Do you Hank?"

She was now looking at him, obviously expecting an answer to her question.

"Not exactly," he replied cautiously.

He didn't want to embarrass Sheila or himself further, but he couldn't lie to them by pretending he should be leaving. Besides, he didn't particularly want to go anywhere else at the moment, the idea of staying with Sheila and Elleeka, even for a short while, being a welcome one. But, he could not just accept the invitation of a small child, no matter how persistent she was being.

"See Sheila, he doesn't have anywhere to go, he can come with us," she pleaded.

A long, loud roll of thunder briefly halted the conversation as all three of them looked skywards. The dark clouds Hank had noticed early had moved much closer and an imminent downpour now looked extremely likely. However, the fast approaching storm did serve to bring their discussion to a conclusion.

"Hank, you'll need somewhere to shelter from this," Sheila stated as the rumbling stopped.

"I don't want to intrude," he automatically responded, despite knowing she was right.

"You wouldn't be intruding," she assured him.

"You're sure?"

"Hank, you just saved my life. The very least I can do is to offer you somewhere to stay in a storm. So yes, I'm sure," she confirmed.

"Thanks," he replied quietly, hoping to avoid overexciting Elleeka with the agreement for him to stay, even if it was only temporarily.

It was a pointless hope as Elleeka instantly grabbed his hand and, with a cry of delight, began trying to pull him along with her. Sheila seemed ready for this as she quickly intervened, bending her head to speak to the girl.

"Elleeka, calm down and let Hank go," she ordered. "You can show him the way without dragging him."

Elleeka immediately did as requested and raced ahead, but not out of sight, leaving Hank standing beside Sheila. Despite the worsening weather, the rain having already started, the pair set off after her slowly, Hank being careful to keep pace with Sheila and not go too fast, allowing for her injuries, as they headed to her home.

-X-


	6. Chapter 6: Kaymill Seeds

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 6 – Realm's Magic**

After cleaning herself up and having changed into clean, un-torn clothes, Sheila sat on the edge of her bed trying to comprehend what had happened. The day had begun like any other, with nothing to indicate anything out of the ordinary should occur. She had been caught complete off guard by the villagers attack and, upon learning they were an Urla tribe, had assumed her death was a certainty. Then, as the blackness had surrounded her, there had been unexpected light, and she had been able to breathe again.

The few minutes after that were still a blur as the next thing Sheila could remember was pulling wet hair from her face to see her rescuer for the first time, and that was the moment when things became really surreal. The Urla had accused her of being a witch, a complete fantasy, or so she thought. Obviously she had not done any of the things they had claimed but she was half wondering if they might have been right about her having some kind of unexplained abilities. Something; anything that would explain Hank.

It wasn't just his timely arrival, it was everything about him. She recalled the mental image she had created earlier of her mystery man beside a campfire and suddenly here he was. Hank's physical appearance was exactly as she had pictured, height, build, hair, even the shade of his eyes, and it wasn't only that that bothered her.

Sheila had an odd feeling that they had met before, not only in her dreams, but had no idea how that could be possible. It didn't make any sense, unless she was dreaming now, or dead. She looked down at her wrists and gingerly played with the red marks. _No, that hurts_ she verified and, after looking at her reflection in the mirror to examining the cuts and bruises to her face, concluded that she was alive, awake, and puzzled.

Deciding that sitting there indefinitely was not going to solve anything she stood up, drew back the curtain separating her bed from the rest of the room, and walked to where Hank sat with Elleeka. Hank was wearing the clothes that Sheila had loaned him while his were drying by the fire, something else to add to her list of unexplained things.

She had found them, along with lots of other items, in the cupboard next to her own wardrobe. They were clearly men's clothing, but she and Elleeka lived alone so where they had come from and who they actually belonged to was a mystery. For now she was just glad that Hank had not asked her about them.

"Hank's made a magic potion," Elleeka claimed.

"What?" Sheila replied incredulously, "a magic potion."

"Uh-hum," she confirmed. "He put something in the water and it made everything better."

Hank had finished what he was doing by now and turned to face Sheila.

"Kaymill seeds," he informed her. "I've got some for you to use too."

"Kaymill," Sheila repeated, surprised but impressed.

"Yes, they were a gift from a village elder".

"But they're magic right?" Elleeka cut in.

"In a way," Hank replied. "Realm's magic."

Sheila had heard of the seeds and knew of their properties but had never had need of them herself and could not recall ever seeing them in use. It required a seed from each of the three varieties, one for each moon, to be added to water. This in itself was not as straight forward as it sounded as the three plants needed did not grow in the same location. The first was found only high up on the tallest of the Realms eastern mountains, the second in the southern salt plains and only the third being found relatively easily on the banks of many rivers and streams.

The appearance of the resulting liquid remained virtually unchanged, taking on a slightly silvery, grey, tinge, nothing more. However, applying it to injuries, whether outwardly visible or not, instantly healed them. Hence it was commonly referred to as Realm's or Moon's magic.

"Hank, you shouldn't be wasting Kaymill seeds on me," Sheila complained.

While glad that Elleeka's wounds had been tended to she felt it an extravagance to be using them herself.

"Too late," Hank replied. "I've already mixed them."

Sheila realised that Hank was determined that she would be using the Kaymill but still protested a little as she sat beside him.

"It's a waste," she moaned. "I'll heal in time."

"Not if your cuts get infected," he answered. "Besides, I want you to use them, it really does help."

"OK, you win," Sheila replied as she handed him one of her wrists.

However, her expression changed to one of apprehension as he drew a cloth from the mixture.

"It doesn't hurt," he assured her, "does it Elleeka?"

"No," the girl answered, "but it feels um, … kinda funny."

Sheila only had a second or two to wonder what Elleeka meant by 'kind of funny' before Hank applied the Kaymill mix to her skin. It was cool and soothing but, at the same time, she felt a warm, tingling, sensation from within. She could actually feel, and see, it working as the unsightly red marks vanished before her eyes and the skin on first one and then the other wrist became smooth once more. The tingling then stopped a few seconds after the last visible trace of injury disappeared.

"Starting to feel better?" Hank asked.

"Yes," Sheila replied lazily. "Thank-you."

"The Kaymill should work on bruises too," Hank told her. "Is it OK to give it a try?"

Sheila nodded, and pulled back her hair, allowing Hank to apply the re-wetted cloth to the side of her face. Once again, a warm, tingling, sensation encompassed her and, once again she was surprised that it was everywhere, not just confined to the area in question. However, it was not unpleasant; in fact, quite the opposite, and she closed her eyes and relaxed.

She could feel Hank's hand through the cloth and the tip of one of his fingers brushing against her skin. She sighed softly, prompting a response from him.

"Are you OK?"

The sound of his voice startled her and she drew her head away from him sharply as she opened her eyes. She blushed as she realised that her face had been healed for several seconds, when the tingling had stopped, but that she had been content to continue sitting there regardless. Sheila knew Hank was watching her and glanced towards him. Seeing he looked concerned she forced herself to answer his question.

"I… I'm fine." She reached up and touched her face. "It feels much better. Thank-you."

Hank continued to look at her for a moment and Sheila thought that he looked a little flushed too but dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"I'll leave you to finish here while I clear this away," he said, picking up the dish that he had used to heal Elleeka's injuries as he rose to his feet.

Sheila stared for a second or two as he did so, focusing on the small bowl. Elleeka had been so uncharacteristically silent for the last few minutes, something she only did when completely mesmerised by something, like a 'magic potion', that Sheila had almost forgotten she was there. She turned to her now and smiled.

"Are you OK, Sweetie?" she asked.

The girl nodded and then asked, "can I help?"

"Of course you can," Sheila replied, glad of something to distract her from Hank.

Elleeka was not nearly as gentle as Hank had been, but Sheila felt more at ease with the little girl helping her as she used the mixture to clear the remaining cuts from her ankles and feet. There was no denying that she was attracted to Hank, he was exactly as she had imagined after all, but that fact made her sure his continued assistance would have been an uncomfortable experience.

Despite having wanted a distraction, she still found herself watching Hank out of the corner of her eye. He was in the process of adding something to the bowl he had placed on the table but she could not see clearly what it was without turning her head and making it obvious that she was looking at him. He looked up, towards her, and she quickly returned her attention back to Elleeka and, taking the cloth from her, dabbed at the last remaining cut on her leg.

Sheila had just placed the cloth back in the dish when the door to the house opened with a crash. Sheila visibly jumped, Elleeka screamed, and Hank spun around as he grabbed his bow from the table. All three of them watched the entrance, waiting for whoever had opened the door to appear as the rain poured in and the door rocked back and forth noisily, but no one appeared.

"It's just the wind," Hank said, relaxing a little as he ended the tense pause.

Sheila gave a small sigh of relief and watched as Hank walked carefully across the room. He pushed the door closed and then looked around for something to hold it in place. There was no lock or bolt on the door itself and Sheila had moved to grab a chair when Elleeka ran over to help.

"The storm bar's here," she informed him, moving a curtain besides the door as she spoke to reveal a large wooden beam. "We only use it when it's really, really yucky outside," she added.

Hank chuckled slightly at the little girl's choice of words to describe the weather but mirrored her in his reply.

"It is pretty yucky out there," he agreed as he lifted the bar into place to keep the door closed.

Elleeka then pulled the curtain across the door as an extra barrier against the draft before grabbing Hank's hand.

"The bang scared me," she admitted.

He smiled down at her and, in a deliberately loud whisper, replied, "me too."

He then raised his head and looked directly at Sheila.

"Are you OK?"

Sheila had been standing when Elleeka had dashed over to Hank but had remained rooted to the spot when the girl had pulled back the curtain. She had no memory of the storm bar what so ever and could not understand why. It wasn't like this was the first bit of bad weather that she had experienced, but then why had she not known what to do?

"Sheila?"

Hank and Elleeka had reached her side without her even noticing.

"I'm fine," she forced herself to answer.

She briefly considered mentioning her lack of memory concerning the bar for the door but quickly decided against it. After all, what could she say? _Where did that come from,_ would just sound silly given that she was in her own home.

"I guess I'm a little on edge after everything that's happened," she added.

Hank smiled in understanding, obviously not surprised by her response and Sheila found it impossible not to return his smile.

"Do you think the storm's going to last a while?" she asked, wanting something ordinary to talk about.

"Looks like it," he replied.

"Really," Elleeka cried excitedly. "Will we get lots of thunder and lightning?"

"We usually do with the storms up here," Sheila reminded her as the girl ran to look out the window.

Despite having already heard the thunder earlier Sheila hoped that this one would prove to be an exception. However, as if on cue, another long, rolling peel of thunder sounded from outside. Sheila knew that Elleeka liked watching storms, a passion she did not share, and she also knew the little girl would want Sheila to sit with her to watch this one, so she had already anticipated Elleeka's next request.

"Will you sit and watch with me?" Elleeka shouted from the bench beneath the window

Sheila was torn about what to do. It would keep Elleeka engrossed for some time, possibly until the child fell asleep, but she really disliked thunderstorms herself, and certainly did not enjoy watching them.

"Can we give this one a miss, Sweetie?" Sheila finally answered.

Elleeka remained seated in silence on the bench but looked crestfallen.

"Is it OK if I sit with her?" Hank asked quietly so that only Sheila could hear him.

"You wouldn't mind?" Sheila queried.

"It will keep her occupied for a while and I get the impression that you aren't that keen on storm watching," he replied.

She smiled. "If you really don't mind."

"Will I do instead?" Hank called over to Elleeka.

Elleeka immediately brightened up. "Yeah," she cried, jumping up and running over to collect him.

"Hey, Elleeka, calm down," Sheila ordered.

"Sorry," the girl replied, slowing down to walk.

As soon as she reached them she put her hand in Hank's. "Come on, or we'll miss it."

"Not so fast," Sheila said firmly, "I want you dressed and ready for bed before you do anything else."

"But…"

"No buts, nightdress, now," Sheila interrupted before Elleeka could begin protesting. "You won't miss much if you get a move on."

"OK," Elleeka answered more cheerfully as she scampered off up the ladder to her room.

Sheila turned back to Hank, "She would run rings around me if I let her."

"Why doesn't that surprise me," he replied with a grin. "I bet she keeps you busy"

"Just a bit," Sheila agreed with a smile.

Another thunderclap sounded, closer this time.

"Do you want any help with anything before she reappears?" Hank asked as the rumbling faded.

"Keeping Elleeka entertained for a while is help enough," she replied. "Thank you."

"I'll just sort out the Kaymill then," he said as he reached for the bowl that Sheila had been using.

He added a single leaf to it and Sheila watched as first the liquid was absorbed and then the leaf folded in on itself before disintegrating into a fine powder.

"I take it that you're not supposed to just tip it away then," Sheila stated.

"It's safer to make sure it's inactive," he confirmed.

"I'M READY," shouted Elleeka as she jumped off from the second rung of the ladder. `

She was by their side in seconds and once again grabbed Hank by the hand. "Hurry up, Hank."

He allowed Elleeka to lead him to the window but his eyes met Sheila's as she did so and they shared a knowing look before he turned away. Sheila stood watching them for a few minutes after they had sat down before finally making a start on clearing away the remnants of their picnic. She took her time, not feeling inclined to work as quickly as she normally did, and frequently paused to keep glancing at Hank and Elleeka.

When Sheila had finished tidying up she stopped again to look at the storm watchers. She was pleased to see that they appeared to be getting on well together. Elleeka had moved progressively closer to Hank each time Sheila had looked over until she was leaning against him and was now chatting happily as they continued staring out of the window.

Sheila smiled, and stood a moment or two longer, before turning away to make her way up the steps to Elleeka's room. She picked up the discarded clothes that the girl has thrown on the floor, turned the bed back, straightened up a few items on the shelf and then returned down the ladder to ground level.

Elleeka had moved again during Sheila's brief absence, having climbed onto Hank's knee, and neither one of them was currently focusing on the weather. It was also Hank doing the talking, rather than Elleeka, and from the way he had the child's attention Sheila guessed she has talked him into telling her a story. As Sheila watched she saw Elleeka trying to stifle a yawn which meant it would not be too long before she fell asleep.

Sheila had not yet sorted out anywhere for Hank to sleep and she set about this next, choosing an area near to the fire place and beneath the raised platform of Elleeka's room. It didn't take her long to arrange enough blankets and cushions into a suitable make-shift bed but when Sheila next looked up she saw that Hank was watching her. He smiled as soon as she noticed; a smile she immediately returned as she placed the last blanket in place before walking over to where he and Elleeka sat.

"She's asleep," Hank said softly as Sheila approached.

"It's a shame we'll have to wake her to get her to bed," Sheila commented, taking a seat beside him.

"No need for that," Hank replied, "I'll carry her up."

"She'll be too heavy," Sheila argued.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I just need to move her a little first."

As Sheila looked on he carefully adjusted the position of the child on his lap until her arms were around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder. Elleeka murmured slightly, but her eyes remained closed, as he then stood up, supporting her weight using only one arm.

Sheila followed as Hank carried the sleeping girl across the room and then watched apprehensively as he slowly started to climb the ladder to the room above. She held her breath, worried about any number of things going wrong, until he safely reached the top. Sheila then quickly ascended the steps herself and helped Hank to place Elleeka carefully into the bed.

"She'll want this," Sheila said, tucking the small cloth doll, Voni, under the sleeping child's arm.

She then pulled the covers over the girl and bent forward to gently kiss her cheek.

"Thank you," Sheila whispered as she raised her head to look at Hank.

"It just seemed easier not to wake her," he said with a smile.

Sheila smiled too. "It's certainly simpler," she agreed.

She glanced back at Elleeka and wondered, not for the first time, how she could sleep so soundly. The thunder and lightening had ceased but the rafters were still creaking loudly and rain was pounding on the roof. As though reading her mind, Hank commented on this.

"I'm surprised the storm doesn't wake her."

"So am I," she admitted, "but she always seems to sleep through them somehow." After a moments pause, to allow for the noise from a particularly strong gust of wind, she added, "it should be less noticeable when we go back down."

"After you then," Hank replied, indicating the ladder.

Sheila carefully moved to the top of the ladder, descended the steps and stood waiting at the bottom for Hank.

"It is quieter down here," she confirmed as soon as he reached her side.

"Yes, much better," he agreed.

"I've set up somewhere for you the sleep," she informed him, leading him to the area beneath the platform. "I hope it will be OK, and there are some extra blankets by the fire if you need them"

"It looks perfect, much more comfortable than I'm used to," he assured her. "If it weren't for you I'd be out there."

"And if it weren't for you I'd …." Sheila blushed slightly and looked at the floor, feeling uncomfortable as she thought about what had happened to her that day.

"I just wish I had reached you sooner, before you were attacked," he stated, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

He didn't let go and she squeezed back, grateful for his support, as she raised her head to look at him. His words had been filled with compassion and he appeared so concerned that she instantly felt better. She was safe now. They continued looking at one another for a few moments, until it was just starting to feel awkward.

"I should let you go to bed," Hank said, releasing her hand.

She smiled. "Are you sure this will be OK?" she asked.

"It's fine," he replied. "Goodnight, Sheila."

"Goodnight."

Sheila turned and disappeared behind the curtain surrounding her bed. She changed quickly, slipped beneath the covers and rolled onto her side. She could see the flickering of the fire through the drapes and, knowing Hank was there beside it, found herself thinking about the light she had been watching the previous night.

This in turn made her remember her earlier puzzlement and concerns. However, despite her increasing list of questions, Sheila found Hank's presence comforting. It wasn't enough to completely drive away her worries, but she felt secure knowing he was only a few meters away and it was this reassurance that enabled her to find sleep, even if the last, lingering, thought in her head was, _Urla don't give up_.

-X-


	7. Chapter 7: Embarrassment and Tears

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 7 – Embarrassment and Tears**

Bobby was sitting against the wall with his legs curled up to his chest and one arm wrapped them. In his free hand he held a small stick and was currently using it to repeatedly draw a figure of eight in the dusty ground in an attempt to alleviate his boredom. He had tried to play tic-tac-toe for a while but he hadn't been able to get Uni to understand the rules and she was now lying at his side looking as fed up as he did.

Presto and Diana had insisted they stay here all day after what had happened last night and were currently sat on either side of the unfortunate Cavalier. It had been a narrow escape. When Eric had pushed him aside the Acrobat must have realised something was wrong as she had leapt forwards and used her javelin to deflect the largest of the rocks. The Cavalier had still been hit, he had been out cold for a few minutes afterwards, but he could easily have been killed.

Diana and Presto had taken turns throughout the night at keeping an eye on the Cavalier and he had asked if he could help too. After all, Eric had been hurt saving him from being buried alive. At first they had said no, but he had argued that he was old enough and Diana has eventually promised him the last shift. True to her word she has woken him before dawn, but she had ended up sitting up with him because she couldn't get back to sleep.

That had been several hours ago and it was starting to get dark again. The Magician had been over a short while ago to assure him that Eric was going to be fine, and the Cavalier himself had joked that it took more that a little bit of rock to keep him down, but Bobby still felt pretty bad about the whole thing. It didn't help that he hadn't always liked Eric, in fact he has disliked him with a passion when they first met, only finding pleasure in seeing how easy it was to wind the older boy up when in his company.

Being in the Realm had changed things, and Eric was different too. He wasn't so easy to make fun of anymore and Bobby found he didn't want to do that anyway. Eric always looked out for him and the Barbarian's opinion of him had changed over time. He could now see what his sister had seen in him all along, Eric wasn't that bad, and he could even be fun on occasions.

He sighed as he thought of his sister. She would be so worried about him. She worried about him enough when she knew where he was, what she would be like now he dreaded to think. _And what would she have said to their parents?_

Sheila had been looking after him that day, taken him with her to the amusement park even though she had already planned to go with her friends, and he had gone and disappeared on her. She was bound to be blaming herself and he couldn't even let her know he was OK.

He really missed her. He missed everything about home; his parents, his friends, his room, even his chores and being nagged to take the trash out. His mom was always there for him; first thing in the morning with breakfast on the table, waiting when he got home from school with a quick snack, and checking on him every night, making sure he turned his light off on time.

His dad spent loads of time with him too, not like some of the other kid's dad's, taking him to local baseball games and, as a special treat, they had gone to a World Series game last season. But he always found it was his big sister he missed the most.

Sheila was always putting him first, cancelling plans so she could take him somewhere fun instead, arranging her schedule around him, taking him to baseball practice and dropping him off or picking him up from friends houses. OK, so she could be a bit mushy sometimes, and a bit over protective, but he missed that too. He missed her smile, her laugh and even her soppy cuddles.

He let the stick fall to the floor as he moved his hand to rub the tears from his eyes. He wasn't going to cry, crying was for babies. He closed his eyes and hugged his knees tighter to himself with both arms, wishing he was at home.

He heard a sound and found Diana standing in front of him when he opened his eyes.

"You'll get cold," she stated as she sat down beside him and draped a blanket over his shoulders.

She kept her arm around him and he secretly hoped that she wouldn't be moving it anytime soon, not that he would ever admit that out loud.

"I miss my little brother," she said. "Do you think Sheila will mind me borrowing you until we get back home?"

Bobby smiled. He liked Diana and she would make a good big sister. Not as good as Sheila, but nice all the same.

"No, she won't mind," he mumbled, leaning closer to the Acrobat.

He was really tired now and, as he started to fall asleep, he thought of home. They would make it this time and the first thing he would do when they got back was to give his sister a big, soppy, cuddle.

-X-

Hank could hardly believe it was so late; the time had simply seemed to fly by. Even though they had spent nearly every moment of it indoors he couldn't remember the last time he had had such an enjoyable day. Between him and Sheila they had kept Elleeka occupied. He had also found out more about them and told them extra details about his own life in return.

He now knew that Sheila owned a cloak that could turn her invisible and they had discovered that he spent his days travelling from place to place, never knowing where he would feel it necessary to go next. Elleeka, in her own straight to the point style, had seized upon this information and it had been arranged that he could stop with them until he was needed elsewhere. How long that would be was anyone's guess, but he hoped he would be staying with Elleeka and, more to the point, her guardian for some considerable time.

There was something special about Sheila. He had felt an instant attraction for her when they had first met and the more time he spent with her the stronger that attraction became. She was sweet, quiet, smart, sensitive and caring. Then there was her slim, petite figure, her beautiful, warm smile and the delightful way her eyes would sparkle whenever she laughed.

He smiled as he thought about her. He had just spent the last hour with her all to himself, Elleeka being sound asleep above them. She had asked more about his travels and they somehow ended up discussing dragons. He had been pleasantly surprised that she didn't automatically assume they were all evil creatures, like most of the people he had encountered.

She was aware that, while many dragons were extremely dangerous and would attack without provocation, there were quite a few that could be classed as neutral, ones that if left alone would not do any harm. She had even known that there were a handful of species that were friendly.

He turned his head towards the curtain that Sheila had disappeared behind a few minutes ago. He could see her outlined through the fabric as she stood in front of her light and he lay watching her. She raised her arms above her head and then lowered them to her side before moving her hips from side to side.

He suddenly realised what she was doing and his face turned crimson as he hastily rolled over to face the opposite direction. It might only have been her silhouette that he could actually see, and it hadn't been intentional, but he had been watching her get undressed and felt rather ashamed of himself.

He quickly searched his mind for something to think about other than Sheila's curves. He settled on dragons and began mentally listing the names of as many species as possible. A few minutes later the room darkened as Sheila's lantern was extinguished and he lay in darkness until finally falling asleep, still counting dragons.

-X-


	8. Chapter 8: Swings and Surprises

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 8 – Swings and Surprises**

Sheila opened her eyes, moved to the edge of the bed and slid her legs out from beneath the sheets. She gave a sharp intake of breath as her bare feet made contact with the cold stone floor as she stood up and had to resist the temptation to dive back under the covers. It was still very early, but there was enough light to make her lantern unnecessary and she quickly slipped into a pretty blue summer dress that was very flattering to her figure.

She made her way silently to the kitchen, pausing momentarily by the fireplace on the way to look at Hank as he slept. Even though Elleeka's bluntness could be rather awkward at times, Sheila had been grateful for it yesterday as it meant Hank was still here, something she was very pleased about.

She prepared a plate of sweet pastries for breakfast, with extra cherry jam on the side for Elleeka, and had just poured a drink when she heard the sound of movement behind her. Turning her head she smiled at Hank as he walked towards her.

I didn't mean to wake you," she said softly.

"You didn't," he assured her, smiling warmly. "I get up early most mornings."

She noticed the way he was looking at her, seeing the admiration in his eyes, and while pleased her choice of attire had had the desired effect, she had to look away to hide her blushes.

"Jinpa," she asked, turning back towards him and holding out a mug of the hot, dark, and slightly bitter liquid.

"Mmmm, yes please," he replied, taking the offered beverage and sitting on a tall stool.

Sheila poured a second cup, sat on a neighbouring stool, and leaned against the countertop.

"It looks like it will be a nice day," Hank commented, glancing out of the window.

"I hope so," Sheila replied. "As I seem to remember you promised Elleeka you'd make her a swing today."

"I did, didn't I," he murmured.

"Yes, and believe me, she won't let you forget it," Sheila informed him.

"I'm sure she won't," he agreed.

She laughed. "You're spoiling her," she warned.

"You don't mind, do you?" he asked.

"No, I don't mind," she answered. "And I'm sure you will have fun."

"You are planning to help, aren't you?" he queried.

"I didn't know that was part of the deal," she alleged.

"You wouldn't leave me at her mercy?" he remarked.

She didn't answer immediately but looked at him with an expression that cried out _wouldn't I_.

"Of course I'll help," she finally whispered.

He looked both relieved and pleased and she giggled.

"Tease," he said with a smile.

"Who? Me?" she replied, with fake innocence, taking a sip of her Jinpa.

Sheila closed her eyes briefly as she savoured her morning brew. It felt so good to have someone else here besides Elleeka, especially someone as fun to be with as Hank. There was still the question of how she had known what he looked like before he had arrived hovering vaguely at the back of her mind but, with her feelings for him strengthening by the minute, she no longer cared about the why's and how's of him being there.

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Elleeka was now awake. The child must have jumped straight out of bed judging by the loud thud she had just heard and by the time Sheila did look Elleeka had already scampered down her ladder and was tearing across the room.

"Elleeka, walk," Sheila said firmly.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Can we go out and build my swing?" she added eagerly.

Sheila sighed and looked at Hank. She had expected this and it looked like he had too. She turned back to Elleeka.

"You're not doing anything before breakfast," she informed her with a no nonsense expression that told the girl to calm down.

"OK," the child whispered before climbing onto the last stool besides Sheila.

Sheila placed an arm around her for a quick cuddle, to let her know she was forgiven, before pouring her some juice.

"Help yourselves to anything you want," she said, addressing both Hank and Elleeka, while taking a muffin for herself.

They didn't need telling twice and Elleeka, then Hank, took a pastry each from the central plate.

-X-

Why had he volunteered to do this he asked himself as he sat astride a large branch, about three metres off the ground, trying to make sure the rope was secure. He knew the reason. She was standing beneath him, looking extremely worried, something not helped by the fact he had nearly fallen a few minutes ago.

At least making the swing had been easy as he had found everything he needed in the woodshed already prepared. The wooden seat had been hand crafted to the correct size, with holes through the ends for the rope, and even the rope itself had been cut to a suitable length. It had certainly saved him some time and now, with the last knot double checked, he carefully climbed back down to join Sheila and Elleeka.

He hadn't realised just how anxious for his safety Sheila had been until now, but the look of relief on her face said it all.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he stated.

"Just don't do that again, OK," she requested.

"I'll try not to," he replied.

"Is it ready yet?" Elleeka cried restlessly, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Nearly," he informed her. "Just a few adjustments."

He knelt down and altered the length of rope on one side so the seat was level and then sat down on the wooden beam to make sure it would support his weight.

"Is it ready now?" the girl asked again.

"Yes, it's ready," Hank announced.

Elleeka grinned and jumped onto the swing which such enthusiasm that she nearly toppled off backwards. Sheila cried out but Hank was prepared.

"Take it steady," he said, grabbing her to prevent her fall and helping her to get seated properly.

She held the ropes on either side and then turned to look at him.

"How do you make it go?" she asked.

He laughed.

"Hold tight," he instructed before pushing gently on the small of her back.

Elleeka gasped as she moved forwards and then back again and was soon giggling as Hank continued his efforts.

"Higher!" she yelled.

He pushed harder and she squealed in delight as she soared upwards and he adjusted his position again to be further back for the return swing. He continued pushing for a few minutes with Sheila watching on as Elleeka laughed, clearly enjoying her new toy.

"Higher!" the girl screamed again.

He had already decided that she was as high as it was safe to go and deliberately missed pushing her as she came back towards him. Sheila obviously agreed with him.

"That's high enough," she called out.

"Aw," Elleeka protested. "Please."

"No," Hank said, bringing the swing to a controlled stop. He knew the child well enough by now to realise she needed to slow right back down. "Besides, I think Sheila should have a go now."

"What!" Sheila exclaimed.

"Sheila, it's your turn," Elleeka agreed.

"It will calm her down," Hank mumbled, so only Sheila could hear. "And I didn't make this just for her you know."

She coloured slightly but still smiled.

"OK," she said softly, "my turn."

"There should be enough room for you both together," Hank stated before Elleeka jumped down.

The seat would comfortably hold two people and he thought it would be far easier with Elleeka still on the swing rather than _helping _him push.

"Don't you dare push too hard," Sheila commented after she had squeezed beside Elleeka and made sure they were both holding on properly.

"As if I would," he whispered in her ear as he pushed them forwards.

He actually had no intention of letting them do anything more than swing slowly back and forth, but he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her as she had done with him earlier. He hoped she wouldn't be annoyed with him for doing so and was relieved when she smiled warmly at him over her shoulder.

As he gently pushed Sheila and Elleeka he let his mind wander and began considering what would happen when the time came for him to move on. Sometimes he barely had time to catch his breath after completing a task and at other times months passed without him having a specific goal or destination.

He hoped this would prove to be a case of the latter. He didn't want to leave here anytime soon and the longer he stayed the more difficult it was going to be, especially as he was already starting to feel that he could never leave, as least, not without Sheila at his side.

"It's Hank's turn now," Elleeka suddenly yelled, startling him from his private musings.

Sheila brought the swing to a stop and stood up.

"No, you and Hank together," Elleeka said to Sheila as she jumped off herself. "I'll push," she offered.

Hank wasn't going to pass up on a chance like this but he knew Elleeka pushing would not be a good idea.

"How about we make the swing go on its own so you won't need to push us?" he asked.

"You can do that?" Elleeka queried.

"Yes," he confirmed. "Is that OK?"

The girl nodded eagerly and stood to one side to watch them.

"Come on Sheila," he called as he sat on the swing. "We shouldn't keep her waiting."

He grabbed the rope to his right and waited for her to join him, slipping his arm around her waist and using her to hold onto rather than the rope to her left once she had sat next to him. He noticed the small, shy smile on her face as he did this, even though she had quickly looked away, but was pleasantly surprised when she mirrored him and slid her right arm around him and squeezed up to him as they began.

-X-

Eric was relieved that they were on the move again. He had tried to convince his friends the day before that he was fine to travel but Diana had dug her heals in and refused to allow him to go anywhere, especially in the pouring rain. She had been right of course; he had been in no fit state to move. His head had been pounding and his vision had blurred with a wave of dizziness whenever he'd stood up.

The Cavalier had noticed Bobby had been unusually quiet since the rock slide incident, and he had tried to make sure the boy knew that he did not blame him in anyway, but the Barbarian was still not behaving in his usual, loud, boisterous and fearless way. Yesterday that had been a blessing, but now he hoped that the boy would return to normal soon, not so much for his own sake but for Bobby's.

However, he was at least talking now, even if it was to a unicorn that couldn't answer back, and he had eaten healthily when they had stopped for lunch, a positive sign after the meagre amount Bobby had consumed for breakfast.

As for himself, he still wasn't feeling that great. His dizziness had stopped but he had completely lost his appetite since throwing-up shortly after regaining consciousness and, had it not been for the Acrobat's persistence, he would not have eaten anything in the last thirty six hours. His head still hurt too but, compared to the way it had felt yesterday, it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Presto had insisted that he drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. While this was probably beneficial in keeping his headache in check it was having other side effects, necessitating in frequent trips off the track behind bushes, trees or whatever else he could find.

Eric was glad the others had not made any comment on this particular point but he had a feeling this was about to end when he spotted Diana waiting for him following his latest bathroom break. She smiled but he continued to watch her warily as he approached.

"Don't look so worried," she commented, linking her arm through his as he drew level. "I only wanted to check how you're feeling."

"I've been better," he replied, without malice, as they began walking.

"I'll bet," she remarked. "Is the headache any better?"

"Yeah," be confirmed, "much better than yesterday, anyway."

"Good, just let me know if it starts to get worse," she requested.

"I will," he promised, smiling slightly at her concern.

"We should start looking for a suitable place to stop for the night soon," the Acrobat mentioned. "You shouldn't overdo things."

"I'll be alright for a bit longer yet," Eric responded. "We didn't set out until late morning and we've not exactly been racing today."

"As long as you're OK," Diana said, "and you keep out of trouble."

"I'll be fine," he alleged, "what else could possibly go wrong?"

The Acrobat raised her eyebrows at this last comment.

"Hey, after being hit by a landslide, I think enough's gone wrong already."

"Don't tempt fate," the Acrobat warned.

"It'll be fine," he assured her.

However, as they continued walking in silence, his mind raced through a whole host of ideas of what else _could_ possibly go wrong.

-X-

Having taught Elleeka how to work her new swing without help, Hank and Sheila had left her to it and were now enjoying a well earned rest.

"Thank you," Sheila said. "It's great."

"It was fun building it," he replied. "And Elleeka seems to like it."

"She loves it," Sheila confirmed with a smile. "I could never have made one for her on my own."

"I'm just glad I could make myself useful," he stated.

She smiled again and slowly took another sip of the freshly brewed Jinpa she had made for them. Hank's last remark had unexpectedly made her think of events she had so far managed to push aside for the last two days, when his timely arrival had proved to be very useful indeed.

Placing her cup down she stood staring at her wrists, remembering the unsightly and painful rope burns and tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a shudder. Hank had noticed something was wrong as he set his own drink down and he turned to her.

"Sheila, are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she claimed with forced cheer.

He was not to be fooled so easily and had obviously seen straight through her.

"No, you're not," he said, taking her hand. "You're thinking about what happened the day we met, right?"

She lowered her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Hey," he said softly as he stroked her cheek before carefully tilting her face back up towards him. "You don't have to apologise."

He was staring straight into her eyes with such warmth and tenderness that she didn't know what to do. Her head was a mess, filled with conflicting emotions, as she thought about the men who had attacked her and the man who had saved her. She could feel her heart racing and she found herself unable to speak, her mouth having suddenly gone very dry.

She felt an urge to turn away, to escape the intensity of the situation, but, at the same time she didn't want it to end. His hand was still gently holding her face and she closed her eyes to ease the tension and raised her own hand to rest on his.

A few seconds later she felt him pulling her towards him and he moved his hand to wrap both his arms around her. She leaned into him and relaxed, resting her head against his shoulder, and realising now just how much she had needed someone to hold her and how much she had wanted that someone to be him.

Sheila could happily have stayed in Hank's embrace for much longer but she eventually forced herself to pull away. He seemed just as reluctant to let her go but he slowly released her and she stepped back before raising her head to look at his.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly.

"Anytime," he replied, smiling warmly at her.

She smiled too and was beginning to wish she was back in his arms when the door opened and Elleeka raced across the room, a big grin on her face.

"Ell…, oh I give up," Sheila sighed.

"Can we have skowenberry pie for dinner?" the girl asked.

"Is that what you came crashing in for?" Sheila enquired in amazement.

"Yes," she confirmed. "It's really, really yummy and you make the bestest pies ever."

Sheila had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing but Hank was having less luck and he hastily moved away to close the door that Elleeka had left open. The girl was looking eagerly at Sheila but her request was not one without issues.

"We haven't got any skowenberries," Sheila informed her.

"But they grow near here," Elleeka quickly responded. "I'll go and get some."

"Not so fast," Sheila snapped, grabbing the back of the girl's top as she turned to leave. "I don't want you wandering off in the woods on your own".

Elleeka frowned, but had an answer after a second or two. "You or Hank could go with me."

Hank had rejoined them at this point and he smiled at Sheila to let her know he would go with Elleeka if she wanted.

"OK, you can go with Hank while I make the pastry," Sheila agreed.

"Yeah," Elleeka cried, grabbing Hank's hand and heading for the door.

"You'll be needing this," Sheila called, as she followed them with a basket in her hand.

Elleeka grinned and took the offered container.

"See you soon," Hank said as he was dragged outside.

Sheila smiled and stood in the doorway, watching them leave, until they disappeared amongst the trees. She closed the door and cheerfully set to work in the kitchen. It didn't take her long to make the required amount of sweet pastry and she then lined a dish, ready for the main ingredient, before preparing the pie top. The accompanying sauce was next and she was busy whisking the mixture when she heard the door latch.

She looked up, surprised that Hank and Elleeka should be returning so soon, and gasped. The bowl she was holding fell to the floor and smashed. Stood in the doorway was a group she had hoped never to see again consisting of a dark haired man with cruel, hate filled, eyes and two larger men with a matching shade of light brown hair.

-X-


	9. Chapter 9: Fight or Flight

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 9 – Fight or Flight**

Her eyes darted around the room, looking for any means of escape, knowing her only chance was to get out of the house and run. The door was blocked so she quickly opted for the kitchen window, shoving the whole contents of the countertop roughly to one side as she climbed onto it. She managed to open the window but a thick, dirty arm grabbed her roughly around the waist and yanked her away.

"You won't escape this time witch," the larger of the brothers snapped, slamming her roughly onto the wooden surface.

Sheila cried out in pain but she knew she had to fight and she grasped the first thing her fingers touched and threw it at the man who held her. A huge cloud of white dust flew in the air as flour went everywhere, including all over her, but it was enough of a distraction for her to wriggle free and slide to the floor.

She looked up just in time to dodge a blow from the man's sibling. Grabbing a stool she spun around and swung it at him but he caught it and she felt a sharp, searing pain in her right shoulder as he snatched it from her. She tried to run but he seized the back of her dress, tearing it as she tripped in her desperate struggle to get away.

Her head caught the edge of the table as she fell, creating a deep gash in her forehead. Reaching up, she grabbed the back of a chair to pull herself back to her feet only to be met with a hard punch, straight to her stomach, from the man she had coated in flour, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to collapse, gasping for breath.

She became aware of a hand around her left arm and nails digging into her flesh as she was pulled across the floor and thrown down at the feet of the dark haired leader.

"Please," she murmured as the tightness in her chest began to ease.

"Silence," he ordered, pressing down on her with his boot and dragging it across her exposed back, bruising and breaking her skin.

Her head was suddenly pulled back and she found herself looking into the sneering face of the largest man seconds before he emptied the remaining contents of the flour bag over her face. She could hear his cold laughter as she coughed and spluttered and her eyes began stinging.

"Over the beam," the leader shouted.

Sheila had no idea what he meant but she didn't have long to think about it as something rough was placed around her neck and she then screamed in agony from the renewed pain in her shoulder as her right arm was pulled back sharply. It was only when the rope began cutting into her skin, as it was pulled upwards, that she realised what was happening and she stumbled to her feet as it continued to tighten while frantically clawing at the noose with her fingers.

There was an enormous crash and, even with her limited vision, she could see repeated flashes of bright light, one after another. Almost immediately the tension in the rope relaxed and Sheila found herself slumped on the floor once again.

"Kill her," the dark haired man ordered before suddenly yelping in pain.

A voice she knew, and welcomed, was added to the chaos surrounding her.

"Elleeka, stay behind me."

"Hank," she whispered as she pulled herself up and sat leaning on the room's central pillar for support while wiping flour from her eyes and face.

"Argh."

One of the brothers, she couldn't be sure which, cried out as the force from an arrow sent him crashing onto the table which then collapsed beneath him.

"Take him and leave," Hank demanded.

His voice sounded odd, as though devoid of all emotion, but Sheila somehow knew that he was barely in control of his anger and was seething beneath the surface. The next few seconds seemed like an eternity. No one was moving. She could see Hank glaring at the three intruders and Elleeka was just behind him, looking absolutely terrified.

She could feel pain in her stomach, shoulder, back, head, legs, arms, everywhere, and the stillness made it all the more intense. The brief pause ended when the Urla chieftain pulled his dazed and confused companion to his feet and dragged him to the door. Hank's waiting arrow was pointing straight at them the whole time and he followed them, waiting at the doorway, presumably to make sure they had really left, before letting the energy fade.

He banged the door closed, placed the bar across it to secure it, then dashed to her side and fell to his knees.

"What have they done," he said, his voice shaking slightly.

"Hank," she sobbed.

She threw herself at him and he wrapped his arms around her. The contact hurt, making her wince, and she felt him beginning to pull away.

"Don't let go," she pleaded.

Despite the pain she needed him to hold her and she clutched at him, her whole body shaking.

"Shush, it's OK," he assured her. "It's OK now."

Hank continued to hold her, but not tightly, and gently stoked the back of her head as he ran his fingers through her hair. She sighed, it _was_ OK now, Hank was here and she was safe.

"Sheila? Hank?" Elleeka whimpered.

"Elleeka," Sheila lifted her head, forcing Hank to remove his hand, and reached out to the frightened little girl. "I'm OK," she assured her.

"Really?" she said tearfully.

"Really," Sheila replied, knowing that wasn't completely true but forcing herself to smile. "I just need to get cleaned up a little."

"Elleeka, can you get me a bowl of water, a cloth and a towel?" Hank asked, as he removed the arm that had still been around Sheila.

The girl nodded and headed towards the kitchen. Sheila realised what Hank had done; Elleeka had needed something to distract her and giving her a specific task was a perfect way of doing so. She turned towards Hank and found him staring at her.

"Thank you for saving me," she said quietly. "Again."

"I should never have left you," he stated.

"You couldn't have known they'd come here," she reasoned.

"But I…"

"Hank," she cut in, determined not to let him try and blame himself.

His emotion filled eyes had never left hers and he smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just … seeing how much they've hurt you."

"I'll be OK," she insisted.

"I got the water," Elleeka declared, placing it down besides them and spilling a little in the process.

"Thank you, Sweetie," Sheila said, smiling at the girl.

She tried to smile back but looked more worried than anything else.

"Thank you, Elleeka," Hank reiterated. "Now, while I help Sheila, can you get another bowl of water so I can mix the Kay…, the magic potion."

This time Elleeka managed to smile before disappearing again.

Sheila had realised that Hank had planned to use Kaymill seeds on her before he actually mentioned them and she made no protest. Her shoulder, though not dislocated, was still extremely painful and her head was beginning to ache from where she had collided with the table.

"How about I start with your eyes," Hank suggested. "Lean back."

She did as instructed, using the pillar for support, and he picked up the cloth and soaked it thoroughly.

"Here, you'd better have this to catch the water," he added, handing her the towel.

She held it to her chest and tipped her head back as Hank used his fingers to gently hold her left eye open before squeezing the dripping cloth.

"Urgh," she gasped, blinking and jerking her head forward the moment the water entered her eye.

"Sorry," she murmured, leaning her head back again. "I'll try and hold still this time."

"It's OK," he replied. "I know it's not pleasant."

The blink reflex was the same but she managed to refrain from moving her head and continued to remain in position when he repeated the action with her right eye.

With the flour cleared form her eyes he turned his attention to the cut on her forehead and the abrasions on her neck before finally asking her to lean forward so he could clean the dirt from the wounds on her back.

"Argh," she muttered under her breath as the movement sent a renewed burst of pain shooting through her shoulder.

"Sheila?" Hank asked in concern.

"My shoulder," she explained. "It hurts more when I move."

She smiled weakly before lowering her head and allowing him to continue, knowing he would be dealing with her injuries soon enough. He gently wiped clean the marks on her back and had just returned the cloth to the water when Elleeka reappeared.

"I found something for the water," she announced, holding out a small, decorative wooden bowl.

"Thank you," Hank replied, taking the bowl from her.

Sheila knew the bowl was important to Elleeka for some reason, having seen her tracing the pattern with her finger while staring absentmindedly into the distance, but did not know where it originally came from. However, she was quickly distracted by Hank preparing the Kaymill and both she and Elleeka looked on while he carefully opened a small, ornate box, which contained four individually numbered vials. He then picked out the three seeds required, in sequential order, and dropped them into the water.

"Ready," he asked, unfolding the fabric that had been secured within the box lid and wetting it in the mixture.

"Yes, urm, I mean, no," Sheila said, suddenly remembering how the Kaymill had felt last time. "Is it OK if I lie down?"

"Sure," Hank agreed and quickly reached for one of several blankets from the pile besides the fire that he had not needed last night and laid it out for her.

With his help she lay, face down, with her arms at her side and smiled to reassure Elleeka, who had now sat down to watch.

The moment Hank touched her skin she felt the wonderful soothing sensation as the discomfort from the lesions on her back melted away. As he moved up to gently massage the back of her neck and injured shoulder the feeling increased as pain was replaced by pleasure.

"Roll over," he said softly, as he leaned towards her.

She did as he requested and lay facing him.

"Are you OK for me to continue?" he asked.

"Mmm," she murmured in consent.

Sheila had noticed that, while the tingling had momentarily stopped, the warm feeling within her had not faded and it now became even more intense when Hank brushed the hair from her face and applied the Kaymill to her forehead. Sighing contentedly, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to surrender to a potent mixture of comforting, pleasurable warmth and a powerful, soothing, serenity.

She was vaguely aware of Hanks hands on her face and neck but she made no attempt to move, enjoying the sensation of his touch, especially now that most of her wounds had been healed. He lifted her arm and used the damp cloth to deal with the finger marks the Urla had left before finally finishing off with the grazes and bruises on her legs.

"Sheila," Hank said softly.

She barely heard him, her body and mind being so completely relaxed, and made no move.

"Sheila," he repeated, stoking the side of her face with his hand.

Her eyes flickered open and he smiled.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes," she sighed, returning his smile and sitting upright.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" he enquired.

Her hand automatically moved to her abdomen.

"I took a few blows here," she informed him," but it feels OK."

"Even so, you should apply the mixture to it," he stated. "I'm sure Elleeka will help you while I clear up a bit."

Sheila nodded and waited while he picked up the dirty water he had used to clean away the flour and walked away before lifting her dress so Elleeka could place the cloth on her stomach. After a minute or two, when Sheila was sure the girl has coated all the area necessary, she covered herself back up and the pair joined Hank who, she noticed, had been very careful to make sure he had kept his back turned.

As soon as she reached his side she also noticed the determined look on his face.

"Thank you," she said, handing him the Kaymill solution.

"I won't let this happen again," he announced, putting the bowl down. "You and Elleeka stay here. I'm going to put a stop to it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, although she already had a fairly good idea about what he intended to do.

"I'm going to that village to find out why they did this," he declared.

"Hank, you can't," she challenged. "Please, stay away from them."

"Sheila, I can't just ignore what's happened. I'm going to talk to them, find out why they think you're a witch."

"No, it's too dangerous," she insisted, "and it won't help. You can't reason with them."

"I have to try," he countered.

She stared into his eyes, knowing she had to stop him. "Hank, they're Urla tribesmen."

His first reaction to this news, standing and staring at her in stunned silence, told her that he had heard of the Urla.

"Sheila, you can't stay here," he finally said, pulling her to him and holding her tightly. "I can't protect you from them," he added.

"I know," she admitted. "I know."

"We'll leave at dawn, before they…"

"NO!" Elleeka suddenly yelled. "I don't want you to go. I don't want to be left on my own."

"Elleeka!" Sheila exclaimed, pulling away from Hank and turning to the child in disbelief. "You're coming with us."

"I am?" she queried.

"Of course you are," Sheila confirmed. "What could possibly have made you think we'd leave you behind," she added, kneeling down and cuddling her.

The last few days had been a complete mixture of events and experiences and Sheila could only assume that the more frightening ones had been too much for the girl as she burst into tears.

"Aw, Sweetie, it's OK," Sheila said, continuing to cradle her, stroking her hair and offering reassurance as she sobbed.

With Sheila comforting her Elleeka soon stopped crying and Hank then lifted her up to sit of the countertop so Sheila could wipe her tear stained face.

"All OK now?" Sheila asked her.

Elleeka nodded.

"Good," Sheila said, smiling, which prompted a smile in return.

"Does this mean we're going on an adventure?" Elleeka unexpectedly asked, looking at Hank.

He looked as surprised as Sheila felt at Elleeka's change from despair to elation but responded quickly.

"Yes, one big, exciting adventure," he confirmed, "but first we need to clean ourselves up a bit."

Sheila glanced guiltily at Hank and Elleeka, realising that she had transferred flour from herself to them but, as though reading her mind, Hank looked at her in a way that seemed to say _don't you dare feel bad_ and she smiled.

"How about you take Elleeka to help you wash the flour from your hair," he suggested.

Sheila readily agreed feeling an ever pressing need to get herself washed and changed but not wanting to be on her own and this offered her an ideal solution. So, a few minutes later, Sheila found herself standing by her bed with plenty of hot water, Elleeka at her side, and marvelling at how well Hank seemed to know her.

-X-

Hank watched as Sheila emerged from the curtain surrounding her bed and joined him by the fire. The Urla attack had been several hours ago and, to ensure she would be ready for an early start, she was already wearing her chosen outfit, a very short lilac dress with a blue sash belt and long, thigh length, brown boots.

He had overheard her telling Elleeka the story of Sleeping Beauty and presumably the girl was now tucked up and asleep in Sheila's bed rather than her own to make things quicker and easier in the morning.

"I've done nothing but cause trouble since we met," Sheila said sadly as she sat beside him. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, you haven't done anything wrong," he insisted, placing his arm around her. "The Urla are the one's causing trouble."

She didn't answer but he felt her press against him and he held her tighter.

"Before I came here I was in Chand, helping them get rid of a demon," he explained. "I'm guessing it paid the Urla a visit too. They would then have been looking for someone to blame and you just happened to be there."

"You mean I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" she asked, raising her head and meeting his eyes.

"Yes, I think so," he admitted.

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. She looked so vulnerable and defeated. All he wanted was to be with her, keep her safe, and instead she was being forced to leave her home, fleeing for her life because of a chance encounter. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be OK but words seemed inadequate and he somehow knew it wasn't words that Sheila needed.

Hank leaned back and lay down, bringing Sheila with him and wrapped his other arm around her. She made no protest, nor any move to resist him, and actually rolled towards him. He held her close and caressed her back with his thumb while listening to the soft, rhythmic sound of her breathing.

After a few minutes he noticed the subtle change that informed him she had fallen asleep. He smiled and kissed her gently on her forehead before laying his head back while continuing to hold her, determined to keep her safe no matter what the Urla had planned next.

-X-

Hank was now wide awake and staring at the ceiling. Sheila was still sleeping soundly, curled up in his arms, and had been so for a while but he had only just been dozing off when something had alerted him but he didn't know what. He moved slowly, carefully sliding his arm from beneath Sheila and resting her head on the cushion, not wishing to disturb her.

There were no unusual sounds but he picked up his bow and walked over to the window by the door to double check. It was a bright, cloudless night and nothing seemed to be moving but, just as he was about to turn away, he noticed a small orange flicker in the corner of his eye. He turned towards it and realised there was more than one; three, no five, no, a dozen or more. Flame torches, all heading this way.

He ran back to Sheila and shook her gently.

"Sheila," he said in a low voice. "Sheila."

"Um," she mumbled. "Hank?"

"Sheila, we have to go now," he whispered urgently.

"What?" she muttered sleepily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"They're here," he informed her. "Go and wake Elleeka."

She jumped up, fully awake and raced to the bed where Elleeka was sleeping while he ran back to the front of the house and looked out again. The first of the Urla were already in view and he turned to find Sheila behind him, hastily fastening her cloak around her neck, and a bleary eyed Elleeka was sat on the edge of the bed trying to put on her shoes.

"The window," he stated, pointing at their only usable exit behind the little girl.

He and Sheila ran to the bed and he threw the window open.

"You first," he said to Sheila.

"No, wait," she exclaimed and darted off to the kitchen.

"Sheila," he snapped, having no idea what she was doing.

"Elleeka," he said, lifting the girl up and lowering her down to the ground.

He climbed onto the ledge, swung his legs over and joined Elleeka outside.

"Sheila, come on," he hissed.

"Got it," Sheila said and ran back towards him.

She sat on the ledge and then slipped, startled by the kitchen window smashing, and Hank dropped his bow to catch her, preventing her fall.

"What were you thinking?" he whispered, retrieving his bow.

"I was getting this," she explained, holding up the small bag they had prepared earlier but had almost left behind in the rush to escape.

Hank sighed. The bag would be useful but it didn't contain anything worth the risk she had just taken. However, now was not the time to debate it. The flames from the torch that had broken the window were already beginning to take hold; it was time to leave.

"Let's go," he whispered.

The three of them quickly scaled the slope at the back of the house. To Hanks relief, they managed the brief climb without being seen and they now stood amongst the trees at the top to observe the Urla while catching their breath. The house was now completely surrounded and the tribesmen were hurling flaming rags and torches through the windows and onto the roof of the already well ablaze building.

Hank turned to look at Sheila and saw that she had pulled Elleeka towards her, holding her so that the child could no longer see what was happening. But she was watching herself, staring forlornly at the sight of her home being destroyed before her eyes, a solitary tear running down her cheek.

He felt so useless. He could do nothing except stand by and look on helplessly as everything Sheila had went up in smoke.

"We need to go," he said quietly, placing an arm around Sheila's shoulders.

"Yeah," she agreed dejectedly.

"OVER THERE."

Sheila gasped and Elleeka squealed as the cry rang out. They had been spotted and Hank knew there was only one thing they could do with so many Urla around.

"RUN"

-X-


	10. Chapter 10: Fear and Capture

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 10 – Fear and Capture**

Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it would explode and breathing was becoming more and more difficult by the second. She needed to stop but the Urla were closing in so she forced herself to keep going. Hank was at her side, clutching Elleeka's hand to ensure the girl did not get separated from them during the pursuit.

"Over there," Hank called, changing direction.

Sheila followed his lead and they suddenly reached a deep, wide, ravine forcing them to stop.

"Wait here," Hank said. "Hide under your cloak with Elleeka. Cross over when they've gone," he added, pointing to a fallen tree that spanned the gap.

"What about you?" Sheila asked.

"I'll lead them off then double back," he replied as he began running, giving her no choice in accepting his plan.

"Elleeka," she whispered, pulling the girl to her as she sat down.

She needed to make sure she was holding Elleeka completely off the ground to cover her properly and the only way Sheila could do that was to support the girl on her outstretched legs.

"Hold this, sit still, close your eyes and keep quiet," Sheila ordered, shoving their supplies onto Elleeka's lap and pulling up her hood.

Elleeka's eyes being closed would make no difference to her invisibility but Sheila could see how frightened she was and worried that she would cry out if she saw the Urla approaching, giving away their position. She was glad she had taken such a precaution as she nearly screamed herself when they came into view only seconds after she and Elleeka disappeared.

They looked callous and savage and she held the edge of her hood firmly in place as she watched the tribe run past, following Hank's trail. Once the last man had gone she forced herself to wait, counting slowly to sixty, before lowering her hood and getting Elleeka to move.

The Urla were behaving like hunters, tracking their prey, and had shown no signs of exhaustion. It was her they were after and she worried about what would happen to Hank if they caught him, well aware they would use any means necessary to try and extract information about her whereabouts. Knowing that he would never tell them, no matter what they did, made it even worse. The Urla were torture specialists and he would be at their mercy.

As anxious as she was about Hank, she had to get Elleeka to safety first and she practically dragged the girl to the fallen tree to take a closer look. Thankfully the tree had a thick trunk, at least at its base, and she helped Elleeka before climbing up herself and the pair crossed relatively quickly to the other side.

Sheila looked back as soon as she and Elleeka were back on solid ground, both checking for Urla and also hoping for Hank's return, but the area was deserted. Trying to remain calm, she took Elleeka's hand.

"Come on, Sweetie," she whispered. "We need to find somewhere to wait for Hank."

She led her away from the ravine, into the trees, and a few minutes later Elleeka stopped and pointed at an enormous weeping willow that stood near a tiny stream.

"What about there?" she asked.

The tree in question was growing above a large hollow and concealed it so well that Sheila was amazed that Elleeka had seen it. However, she wasn't going to waste time questioning her about it now and she quickly led the child inside.

"Wait here," Sheila said, having already decided that she was going to go and find Hank.

"Don't go," the girl pleaded, clutching at her arm.

Sheila could she the fear in Elleeka's face and hated having to leave her on her own, something she dreaded herself, but there was no other option. She had to make sure Hank was OK and the only way anyone could stay out of trouble when approach a tribe of Urla was to be invisible, something she could only do alone, but Elleeka had to be kept safe too and this was the prefect hiding place.

"I have to find Hank," Sheila told the scared little girl.

"But I don't like being on my own," Elleeka said woefully.

"I know, but I can't leave him," she replied. "I love him."

She had known that already. Known from the way she felt whenever she looked at him or thought of him and from how special he made her feel when he touched her, or even better, wrapped her in his arms. However, admitting it out loud made her realise just how much. Sheila looked at Elleeka to see her staring at her, still looking afraid and uncertain.

"I won't be long," she stated.

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise," she confirmed. "And I'll bring Hank back too."

Elleeka still looked far from happy but she made no further protest.

"Now, don't leave this cave until I get back," Sheila instructed, wrapping a blanket around her and kissing the top of her head. "You can unpack the bag while I'm gone. Voni's in there somewhere."

This raised a tiny smile from Elleeka and Sheila stood up and pushed some of the trailing willow branches aside.

"I'll be back soon," she added, raising her hood with a flick of her wrist and vanishing from view.

Sheila headed straight for the ravine, crossed back over, and set off in the direction she had last seen Hank running. It was too quiet, eerily so, with nothing, not even insects interrupting the silence as though every creature around was in hiding. She pulled her cloak tightly to her, grateful that it was a cloudless night with all three moons shining brightly overhead, making it easier to follow the trail left by the charging Urla.

After what seemed like the longest five minutes of her life she finally heard something, voices somewhere ahead, and they sounded close. The path twisted to the right and she could now see torch lights through the trees, lots of them, and they weren't moving. She knew this was not a good sign. If the tribesmen had stopped chasing then it could only mean they had had a successful hunt and she made her way through the undergrowth, being careful not to make any noise as she approached.

She looked on in horror at the sight before her, seeing her worst fears had been realised and she had to cover her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Hank had been captured by the Urla and they had wasted no time in beginning their interrogation. His shirt had been removed and they had him suspended from a tree by his wrists, his feet barely touching the ground, and Sheila could see blood on his face and torso.

The chieftain was standing in front of Hank and his tribesmen were scattered around them.

"Where is the witch?" the man demanded.

"Go to hell!" Hank retorted, glaring at the Urla leader.

The chieftain smirked and actually seemed to enjoy Hank's resistance as he slowly ran a knife against his chest. Hank screwed his face up and gritted his teeth as his flesh was sliced with a deliberate and practiced precision but refused to give them the satisfaction of screaming.

Sheila could see the dark haired man was beginning to lose patience when she heard a loud crack and this time Hank was unable to remain silent, crying out as the whip struck his back. The bald headed man, wielding the whip, was shorter than the chieftain and Sheila had not noticed him at first, but she couldn't take her eyes off him now and could only watch, helplessly, as he raised his arm and dispensed two more lashes in quick succession.

"Again," the leader ordered.

She saw Hank brace himself as he was struck three more times, his face showing the pain, and Sheila flinched with each stroke.

"Tell me where she is?" the chieftain insisted.

"Never!" Hank snapped.

His defiance earned him a further three lashes and Sheila desperately tried to think of something she could do to help him, anything that would somehow get the tribe to release him, or at least stop hurting him, without getting caught herself.

"I want the witch," the man reiterated.

_Witch, the Urla wanted a witch_. The Urla were suspicious and hated; no feared magic. _But could something like that work?_ It was crazy but she didn't have any better ideas so, if it was a witch they wanted then that's what she would give them.

Sheila walked towards Hank and the chieftain and stopped a short distance away. She took a deep, calming breath, knowing she had to make this convincing.

"RELEASE HIM!" she yelled, almost starling herself from how forceful she sounded.

Hank's head snapped up and the tribesmen looked unsettled at hearing a disembodied voice.

"Show yourself," the dark haired man growled.

"Release him, now," she repeated. "Or suffer the consequences."

The Urla continued to look apprehensive as they fidgeted nervously and even the chieftain seemed to momentarily waver, but he was obviously not prepared to surrender his prisoner yet, his next move making that clear.

"Show yourself or he dies," he snarled, holding a knife to Hank's throat.

Her heart sank. If she did not remove her hood then he would kill the man she loved; if she did, the Urla would have no reason to keep Hank alive and would kill him anyway. She looked at Hank, uncertain what to do next and saw the strength and determination in his face.

He wasn't afraid, or at least he wasn't letting it show, but the man behind him was. Glancing around her she could see the fear in the faces of all the tribesmen and she knew what she had to do. She needed to keep building on their deep seated anxiety of anything they could not explain, knowing everything counted on it. She just hoped her voice would not betray her own fear.

"You dare to defy me?" she stated coldly. "You have destroyed my home. Who is defending your homes?"

There were murmurs from the men around her and the tribe leader no longer seemed so sure of himself and she continued quickly, before she had chance to lose her nerve.

"Kill him and feel my full power," she added coldly.

Sheila paused, realising the silence would scare the Urla even more and crept closer, until she was standing right beside the chieftain.

"Cut him down," she whispered in his ear.

Having anticipated a reaction she easily dodged as he spun around frantically searching for the source of her voice and, with the knife no longer pressed against Hank, she took her chance to spook him further.

"Now," she added in his other ear.

This time she was almost caught, having to dive to one side to avoid him as he struck out blindly, but seeing their leader affected by _the witch_ was enough to send a handful of Urla fleeing. Sheila sat up and looked around her and, noticing the chieftain had dropped his knife, she quickly grabbed it and hid it beneath her cloak.

"Release," she called out, slicing through the rope that secured Hank.

He stumbled as the tension eased, allowing him to lower his arms, but remained on his feet. Sheila ran to his side while most of the remaining Urla scattered leaving only the leader and three others.

"Hold still," she whispered, taking his wrists and quickly cutting the rope.

The three tribesmen who had stood their ground alongside the chieftain consisted of the two brothers and the man Sheila had seen whipping Hank. All four men looked frightened and Sheila knew she couldn't stop now. Hank was injured and she needed to continue what she had started, using their fears against them, before they did anything else to him.

"Foolish men," she declared. "Maybe you want another demon to pay your village a visit?"

"No," the bald headed man cried. "Please."

"Then I suggest you go back there," she replied, "while I am feeling generous."

This was enough to send him packing and Sheila moved again to stand behind the two brothers.

"Run!" she ordered.

Her disembodied voice, directly addressing them, was finally too much for them and both men took off without a second glance at their leader.

Sheila's last move also meant she could now see Hank's bow, sticking out of the undergrowth, where the Urla must have thrown it. She bent down to retrieve it and found his missing shirt alongside it and quickly tucked both items under her cloak.

Returning to Hank's side she slipped the bow into his hand and tried to think of something she could say that would make the chieftain leave. However, the arrow that was suddenly pointing straight at his chest was already having an effect and he took several steps back.

Sheila lowered her hood and the man before her stumbled and fell upon seeing her suddenly materialize from thin air. She could tell from looking at him that he had finally given up and she and Hank stood together, silently watching him, and they didn't have long to wait before he scrambled to his feet and ran.

She turned to Hank, scarcely able to believe that the Urla had been scared away so easily, even though she had known how much magic frightened them. She had deliberately played to that fear, using the only magic she possessed to make them believe she really was a witch and thankfully it had worked. Hank smiled and took her hand.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You were tortured because of me," she stated.

"No, not because of you," he replied.

Sheila felt tired and Hank looked exhausted; hardly surprising after what happened.

"You need to rest," she said.

"And we should to get back to Elleeka," he added.

She nodded and, with her hand still held firmly in his, they retraced their steps back to the ravine.

-X-

Hank sank painfully to the floor of the shelter and closed his eyes. He and Sheila had said very little on the walk back and all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep but he knew he needed to get his cuts dealt with before he would be able to lie down.

Sheila was currently busy with Elleeka who, after momentarily being relieved to see them, was now almost hysterical after spotting the blood on his face and chest. He was in no fit state to help and he was just glad he had managed to prevent the child from seeing his back if the relatively minor cuts she had seen had created such a reaction.

After a few minutes Sheila managed to restore calm and when he opened his eyes Hank saw that Elleeka was lying down, covered with a blanket, her doll clutched tightly in her hands. She was peering at him warily.

"The men hurt you," she commented miserably.

"I'll be OK," he whispered reassuringly. "The Urla have gone, and they won't be back."

Sheila looked at him as he spoke, her eyes meeting his, showing both hope and uncertainly.

"You really think so?" she asked.

"Yes, I really think so," he confirmed. "You did a great job at scaring them off and even if they do come looking for us again they won't be able to cross the ravine."

"No, I guess not," Sheila replied, frowning slightly.

Hank smiled, despite the pain he was in. As soon as he and Sheila had crossed safely he had used his bow to blast away the tree, sending it crashing into the depths below, ensuring they could not be followed.

Sheila had disapproved; not of the act itself but of him doing so while still injured. In some ways she had been right as it had taken nearly all his remaining strength to pull the arrow and he had needed her support to make it from there to their current location.

However, it had been worth the effort to make certain they would be safe and it seemed that deep down Sheila agreed with him as she returned his smile reluctantly.

"I'll get some water," Sheila stated, reaching inside the bag she had retrieved from the house as they had escaped and extracting Elleeka's prized wooden bowl.

Hank watched as she disappeared through the trailing willow braches before turning his head back towards Elleeka. The child had sat up and they watched one another silently for a moment. Hank could see that the girl was upset about him getting hurt but that she was also very tired.

"Have the bad men really gone away?" she mumbled.

"Yes," he replied. "They won't be back, I promise."

She smiled and lay back down again, her eyes flickering closed.

"Are you going to use the magic potion?" she muttered sleepily.

"Yes, he is," Sheila replied as she reappeared.

Hank didn't need Sheila to tell him this. He was in too much pain to consider not using the Kaymill Seeds on his injuries when he had a plentiful supply in his pocket. He pulled out the little box as Sheila knelt down in front of him.

"I need to clean your cuts first," she said softly.

"Good idea," he replied, putting the box on the ground and reaching out to take the cloth from her.

"I'll do it," she insisted, looking straight into his eyes and gently wiping the blood from his face.

"Thanks," he whispered.

She smiled shyly then looked away as she bent her head and rinsed out the cloth before repeating the action, this time on his chest, where the Urla chieftain had made the small but very painful cuts with his knife. Hank avoided meeting her eyes as she did this, choosing instead to look over her shoulder but without focusing on anything in particular.

He could feel her hands rubbing gently against his skin and was glad she was being so gentle. Even so, the cuts still stung a little as Sheila bathed them. After a couple of minutes she returned the cloth to the water for a second time and Hank found himself staring at it as it turned a hazy, salmon red.

"I'll just do your back and then get some fresh water," Sheila stated.

"Thanks," he said again, unable to think of anything else to say.

She shuffled around him and he soon felt the cool cloth being used to dab away at the whip marks. She worked tentatively but these lacerations were his worst injuries and he winced when she brushed against one of them.

"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly.

"It's OK," he assured her, turning to looking at her over his shoulder. "It's bound to hurt a little."

"I'll try and be more careful," she replied.

"You're doing fine," he insisted with a smile.

She smiled too and Hank turned away, determined not to react again as she continued. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth but made no other movements while Sheila cautiously wiped away the remaining blood from his back.

"All clean," Sheila commented, rising to her feet with the bowl in her hand. "I'll be back in a minute."

Sheila moved quickly allowing Hank only a glimpse of the water, but it was enough for him to notice it was now dark red in colour. He sighed and then glanced over at Elleeka to make sure she was OK, surprised that she had been quiet for so long.

It took him a second or two before he realised she had fallen asleep. Hank knew the girl well enough by now to know she would not want to miss anything but he had forgotten how late it was; Elleeka would have been exhausted. He watched her for a moment and was pleased to see that, despite everything that had occurred in the last few hours, the child seemed to be sleeping quite peacefully.

Elleeka was curled up with her small doll clutched tightly in her hand and he reached over, painfully, to adjust her blanket so it covered her. Sheila returned as he was doing this and shot him a look that was half appreciative, half reproachful.

"Hank, you should be resting," she whispered.

"I'm OK," he lied.

He knew that Sheila had not been convinced when she didn't reply but simply rolled her eyes at him as she placed the fresh bowl of water on the floor beside him. He smiled and she smiled back, briefly, before picking up the box containing the Kaymill and carefully adding the seeds in the correct order.

Sheila then removed the cloth from the box lid and dipped it into the mixture. She rung it out and paused, looking at him as though trying to decide where to start.

"It'd probably be easier if you lie down when I do your back," she finally stated. "So I'll do that last."

Hank nodded in agreement and held out his wrists; prompting her to begin with the ugly, red, rope burns. Sheila gently wrapped the cloth around the left one and, having been forced to make use of Kaymill Seeds once before, the day he had been given them, he was ready, or so he thought.

He immediately experienced the expected prickling. However, he also felt a second sensation, mixed in with the tingling, but he barely had time to register it before Sheila removed the cloth. For a moment he believed he had imagined it but then it returned when Sheila pressed the Kaymill to his right wrist.

He focused on trying to identify what he was feeling and only had time to recognise it as warm and soothing before it stopped, Sheila having once again lifted the cloth from his skin now that all the marks from the rope had vanished.

"Tilt your head back," she requested.

Hank did as she asked and she reached out and brushed his hair to one side to allow her access to the bruises on his face. The tingling began again the moment the cloth touched his skin but he ignore it, concentrating on the pleasing and soothing aspect instead.

Hank felt the cut on his temple mending and he began to feel much better as the headache he had had since the Urla attack melted away. He smiled and focused on the unexpected, but pleasant affects of the Kaymill as Sheila's hand moved down the side of his face and then watched in silence when she lowered her hand to re-wet the cloth.

The prickling had stopped but the comfortable warmth was still lingering. A few seconds later Sheila applied the mixture again, focusing her attention on the incisions on his chest, and Hank found himself relaxing, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment.

He vaguely recalled the first time he had used Kaymill and wondered why this occurrence was so different. He certainly had not felt anything like the intense and electrifying sensations he was currently feeling and he remembered the old man who had given him the seeds had advised him that the experience varied depending on who was administering the treatment.

Even without these differences, Hank knew who he preferred. Sheila was being so gentle, he could feel her soft fingers through the material as she worked, and as he thought about her he found the pleasure intensifying. His eyes met Sheila's as she moved her hand down his chest, her finger tips making direct contact with his skin, and he smiled; a smile she returned shyly before lowering her gaze.

As Sheila broke off for the third time Hank remained motionless and although he was watching her he was not focusing on her actions, being quite content to sit gazing at her face.

"Are you ready?" Sheila asked softly.

He blinked and looked around to see she had spread out a blanket for him to lie on. He nodded and in his relaxed state moved too quickly making him cry out in pain.

"Hank!" Sheila exclaimed in concern.

"I'm OK," he assured her, stopping still for a few seconds before continuing at a more sedate pace to lie face down with his head resting on his hands.

The stab of pain had put an end to all the affects from the Kaymill but they returned the instant Sheila touched him; the mild tingling and the steady glow of a more pleasant nature emanating from every part of his body. The last bit of discomfort ebbed away and he sighed happily, closing his eyes and letting himself enjoy the moment.

He was glad that Sheila had suggest he lie down and the thought occurred to him that she must have done so for a reason. He wondered if it was perhaps because she had felt something similar to what he was feeling now, when their situation had been reversed a few hours ago.

He smiled at this idea, hoping he was right, liking to think that he might have been able to make her feel this good. Breathing deeply, he focused on the way her hands were gently massaging his shoulders, teasing out the aches and leaving him with a feeling of immense satisfaction.

Hank became gradually aware that Sheila had finished with his injuries but chose not to move immediately and she seemed in no hurry for him to get up, allowing him to lie undisturbed until he re-opened his eyes.

"Have I missed anywhere?" she whispered.

"No," he mumbled, finally forcing himself to move.

Hank sat up and saw Sheila open the container to the Kaymill. She extracted a leaf and successfully deactivated the mixture before returning the now dry cloth to its proper place, closing the box and handing it to him. His fingers brushed against hers as he took it and he looked up and smiled.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Sheila smiled sadly and looked away.

"Sheila, are you OK?" he enquired.

"I'm fine," she muttered without looking at him.

"No you're not," he argued, reached forward and carefully lifting her head.

"You were hurt protecting me," she stated quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

"And I'd do it again to keep you safe," he replied.

A single tear rolled down her check which Hank gently wiped away with his thumb. He gazed at her, staring into her beautiful, enticing green eyes and he wanted nothing more than to lean in closer and taste her inviting lips.

However, as tempting as that was, he knew now was not the time. Sheila was vulnerable, her home had been destroyed and she was obviously feeling guilty about what the Urla had just done to him. He didn't want to take advantage; he couldn't risk ruining everything for one quick kiss. Sheila was too important to him for that. Instead he pulled her to him and held her tightly in his arms.

He felt her relax as she leaned against him. After a minute of two he reached over and grabbed the third, and final, blanket that Sheila had salvaged from the house and wrapped it around the two of them before lying back down, bringing her with him. She lifted her head and smiled. He smiled too and she lowered her head, resting it on his shoulder.

Even though he knew she was not asleep he couldn't resist kissing her forehead and was relieved when he heard her sighing softly and felt her lips curl into a smile. She snuggled up to him and he felt a thrill of pleasure as she moved her hand to rest on his chest. His heart was pounding so loudly that he was sure Sheila must be able to hear it but even if she could she said nothing and seemed completely at ease in his arm, an observation filing him with hope.

Hank had been captivated by her from the moment they'd met and he'd been falling more and more in love with her ever since. He wanted to be with her, no matter what, and he would happily abandon his nomadic lifestyle so that he could stay at her side. For now they both needed sleep but that was just a temporary delay and in the morning he would tell Sheila how much he needed her and confess his love.

-X-


	11. Chapter 11: Explanation Time

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 11 – Explanation Time**

Sheila raised her head until her eyes met with Hank's to find him smiling at her. She smiled too, but made no further movement, content to remain lying in his arms for now.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning," she replied, snuggling a little closer to him.

"I could get used to this," he remarked.

"So could I," she admitted.

His smile broadened but he suddenly surprised her by sitting up and by keeping his arms around her forced her to join him.

"I guess we should move," she mumbled.

"I'm not letting you go yet," he told her. "I kinda like being this close to you."

He gently stroked the side of her face.

"I never want to let you go," he added softly.

Sheila blushed but forced herself not to look away. She didn't want to look away, not while he was looking at her with such feeling and intensity.

"I love you," he whispered.

Sheila gasped.

"I know we've only just met, but I feel like I've known you so much longer," Hank continued.

Sheila still did not answer, too surprised to say anything. She loved him, but to think that he felt the same way had been more than she had dared to hope.

"I'm rushing you. I'm sorry," he said, removing the arm he had around her. "I shouldn't …"

"No!" she interrupted, realising he had misinterpreted her silence. "I mean…"

She paused, looked into his eyes and smiled. "I love you too."

His eyes brightened and the arm he had just moved snaked back into place as he leant towards her.

Sheila closed her eyes as his lips met hers and willingly allowed him to pull her closer, wrapping her own arms around him as they kissed. Everything seemed to slow down and she felt a delightful warmth creeping all over her body. He tasted so good and her hands travelled up his bare back as she lost herself in his loving embrace.

Sheila heard a squeak from Elleeka, but it didn't sound urgent, and she was enjoying this far too much to pay it any attention. She has waited so long for this, loving Hank in secret, having only confided in Diana. She had endured her brothers teasing….

_Bobby!_ She jumped back as the memories of who she was; where she was from; and who she was kissing suddenly filled her head.

"Hank," she said tentatively, glancing at him just long enough to see that he remembered everything too.

"Sheila, I…"

She couldn't look at him. Her cheeks were burning and it was more than a little tempting to pull up her hood and hide, but she somehow resisted. It was so unfair. For a few brief, magical seconds, life had been wonderful, but then reality had come crashing in and slapped her across the face.

She couldn't think straight. How could she have forgotten everything; her home, her friends, even her own brother. Then she remembered meeting Elleeka on the outskirts of Chand.

"What did you do?" she demanded, rounding on the little girl. "What did you do to us? What have you done with my brother?"

Sheila did not often get angry but the child in front of her had messed with her head, taken her memories, manipulated Hank's feeling and was responsible for the disappearance of Bobby and her friends.

"What did you do?" she repeated.

"Sheila," Hank said gently, taking her arm.

"Don't," she snapped, pulling away and scrambling to her feet.

She saw the expression on his face as she did so, he looked so hurt. _Great, another thing to feel bad about_, she thought. It wasn't his fault, but she couldn't deal with him touching her right now, not after what had just happened, not knowing it was all a lie.

Tears of shame formed in her eyes and she turned her back, her hand automatically reaching for her hood, but she remained visible, listening as Hank questioned Elleeka.

"You made us forget who we were, right?" he began.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"And our friends?" he continued.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Where did you send them?" Hank asked.

"I made them think you were still at … at the amusement park. They said they were looking for a portal." She stated.

"They still remember everything else," Hank checked.

"Yes," Elleeka clarified.

It was some comfort to know that Bobby was with the others. It also meant they knew which direction they were heading as Dungeon Master had actually been fairly specific on that point, just before his last vanishing act, but that still did not explain why Elleeka had separated them. However, Hank's next question went towards addressing this.

"But why did you make them forget we were here? What did you want us for?" he queried. "What did you want Sheila for?"

It wasn't until Hank said this that Sheila realised she had been singled out by Elleeka. The girl had, after all, not only suppressed her memories but had actually given her a whole set of new ones, memories of a life with Elleeka and the things they did together like swimming, and watching fairies, and making cherry jam.

"I wanted her to look after me," Elleeka said forlornly. "I didn't like being on my own."

Of all the possible explanations, that was one Sheila could relate to.

"What about your parents?" she asked, turning back around to look at the girl. "Where are they?"

"I don't know," Elleeka replied. "I was mean. I told them to shut up and go away. Then I ran home and they didn't."

"How long ago was this?" Hank enquired.

The girl shrugged her shoulders but Sheila remembered the state of the house when she had first entered it with Elleeka; dust everywhere and the stale smell, indicating a prolonged absence.

"What did you do?" Sheila asked, sitting back down. "Where did you go?"

"I went to the village first, to find someone to look after me, but they weren't very nice."

"The Urla village," Hank muttered.

She nodded.

"Did you take any food from them," he asked.

She nodded again, "but I made them not remember me and went to Chand instead."

So Elleeka had been the tribesmen's witch, or at least the start of it; taking food and using her powers on them. The demon that had then come along to terrorise the area must have been the final straw and they had come looking for the source of their troubles.

"And when you got to Chand you tried to find someone to take care of you," Hank surmised.

"Yes, the people were nicer there, but then the monster came and I hid, and then you came and got rid of it, and I saw you." She turned to look at Sheila. "You were really nice and … and you look like my mom."

Sheila stared at the little girl. She had been so angry with her a short while ago, believing her to be controlling, malicious, deceitful and cruel, but now she didn't know what to think. It sounded more like she was simply a frightened and lonely little girl who desperately wanted looking after but had gone about it completely the wrong way.

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Sheila challenged.

"Because you might have said no," the girl replied.

"Might have said no," Sheila echoed.

She honestly didn't know what to say. In the child's mind it must have been as straight forward as that; she might have said no, so Elleeka had taken no chances and made sure the answer had been yes. At least Sheila knew why she had done it, and part of her wanted to take the girl in her arms and offer her some reassurance, but she hadn't forgiven her yet.

Sending the others off and messing with her memories she could just about understand, but Sheila couldn't accept what she had done to Hank. She quickly glanced at him only for him to immediately look away, confirming everything. He liked her, but that was all, and Elleeka making him temporarily think otherwise was something she would find harder to overlook. It wasn't just the awkwardness of the whole situation, it was more than that; her dreams had been shattered.

Not knowing how Hank truly felt about her had at least allowed her to speculate about what might happen between them once they got home but now she knew that nothing ever would happen, here or at home. She tried telling herself that it was better to know the truth but it certainly didn't feel that way at the moment, especially as her mind had decided to keep tormenting her by repeatedly playing little flashbacks of how close they had become during the last few days.

"We should get going," Hank suggested quietly.

Sheila looked up and upon noticing he was now fully dressed blushed as flashback number thirty something entered her head. She remembered how her hands had travelled over his body, applying the Kaymill, last night and then finally curling up in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm draped across his bare chest. Not trusting herself to speak she showed her agreement by quickly packing up their few supplies and was stood, ready to leave, in under a minute.

"Elleeka, come on," Hank said. "We can't stay here. We need to find our friends."

"You want me to come with you?" the girl asked, sounding and looking surprised.

"We can't just leave you here," he replied. "But, you have to promise me something."

Elleeka looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"You have to promise not to use your powers on me or Sheila again, OK?"

"OK, I won't," she agreed. "I promise."

He gave a watery smile. "OK, let's go."

Sheila watched him leave the cave and waited for Elleeka to do the same before finally following them herself. She felt so alone right now; her love life was in crisis, she was still worrying about her brother and there was no one she could talk to.

It helped knowing the Barbarian was with her friends. They would look after him, she knew that. So, despite her concern for Bobby, it was thoughts of Hank that were keeping preoccupied. His smile, this touch, his kiss. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed, resigned to the fact that it was going to be a long, uncomfortable day.

-X-


	12. Chapter 12: More Explanations

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 12 – More Explanations**

Hank felt drained. He had spent the entire day with his thoughts and feelings about Sheila buried deep down inside, not daring to let them surface until they had put more distance between them and the Urla. Now however, sitting in a small clearing near the hill base, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

He had kissed her. He had actually kissed her. And it had been amazing, better than amazing. He closed his eyes, trying to savour the memory and not focus on the painful knowledge that he would never get to do it again. But it was too late. He recalled all to well the expression on Sheila's face when she had pushed him away and a few moments later, when she had made it quite clear that she could not even bear for him to touch her.

He sighed softly. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't loved her but he had held back, afraid of risking their friendship by pushing for something more. And then the Realm had happened. Letting her know how he really felt was out of the question in a world filled with so many dangers but now, thanks to Elleeka's interference, she had found out anyway and it had been a complete disaster.

Hank looked over to where she was sitting with Elleeka but he was too far away to hear their conversation. It was the first time he had seen her speak since they had left the cave that morning and she obviously didn't feel like talking as she soon got to her feet and walked out of sight amongst the trees.

He watched her go, guessing that she needed some time to herself and trusting that she would not wander far. Hank knew that Sheila did not normally choose to be alone but it wasn't like she had a great choice when it came to company at the moment. On one hand there was a little girl who, to suit her own needs, had made Sheila believe she had been in love with him and on the other, the _friend_ who she had now discovered wanted so much more.

"Hank, why don't you like Sheila any more?" Elleeka asked, as she settled down beside him.

"I do like her," he replied sadly. "I love her."

He sighed again and Elleeka sat watching him.

"Why did you have to give us our memories back?" he muttered, not really meaning it as a question, and certainly not considering it as a serious option.

"I didn't," Elleeka answered.

Hank blinked slowly, taking a moment to register what the girl had just said.

"What? What do you mean, you didn't?" he enquired.

"I didn't give you your memories back," she insisted. "I don't know how."

"Well … how did we get them back?" he asked.

"You kissed," she informed him.

Now he was really confused.

"Yes, but …" He stopped, trying to understand what Elleeka meant. "You're saying we got our memories back because we kissed?" he continued.

"Uh-hum," she confirmed.

"A kiss!" he repeated.

"Yes. Sheila told me that first kisses are magic," she stated.

"When did she tell you that?" he asked.

"After the sleeping princess story," she replied. "I asked Sheila why the princess wakes up and she said that kisses are magic, they can break magic spells."

"So, when we kissed, it broke your spell?" he checked.

She nodded.

Hank caressed his forehead with his fingers, unable to believe what the girl was telling him. It didn't make sense, kisses couldn't break spells. He looked at Elleeka, _unless your eight years old and you believe in fairy stories_.

Elleeka believed that kisses could break magic spells and so when she had seen him kissing Sheila the spell locking their memories away had been broken. But that still didn't make sense. If Elleeka had thought a kiss would break her spell why had she created a situation that would be likely to lead to one.

"Then why did you make Sheila love … why did you make Sheila think she loved me?"

"I didn't," Elleeka informed him. "I only know how to change what you remember. I don't know how to do anything else. I told Sheila I couldn't do that when she asked why I made you love her."

Hank stared at her in stunned silence, starting to understand but doubting it could be true. He had thought Elleeka had been the one to give Sheila stronger feelings for him but it seemed Sheila had been working under the same misapprehension, thinking the girl had changed the way he had felt about her.

Replaying the day's events in his mind he could now see two interpretations to Sheila's reaction to their kiss. He had assumed her inability to look at him, her prolonged silence, and her decision to be alone were due to the discomfort of discovering he loved her when she did not love him. But he could now see that her behaviour fitted well with the alternative explanation.

Sheila had just told him of her feelings and then, in a moment of intimacy, their memories had come flooding back and she had presumed that those feeling were not reciprocated. It wasn't difficult to imagine how she would have felt, similar to how he had, exposed and embarrassed, and he had done nothing to alleviate things, thus confirming, at least in her mind, that he did not care.

Hank turned back to Elleeka.

"You really didn't do anything except make us forget who we were?" he asked, needing to be sure.

"No," she confirmed. "That's all I did."

He felt a smile tugging at the edge of his lips.

"Thank you," he said as he jumped to his feet.

"Where are you going?" the girl asked in alarm.

"I'm going to make sure Sheila knows I still like her," he replied.

Seeing Elleeka still looked uncertain he offered her some reassurance.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," he promised, "and I'll bring Sheila back too."

The girl nodded and Hank raced off quickly, impatient to find Sheila and let her know exactly how much she meant to him.

-X-

Hank's assumption that Sheila would not have gone far proved to be correct and he soon found her, sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree, at the edge of the woods. She glanced over her shoulder briefly as he drew near but turned away again to continue gazing out over the horizon as the last of the suns set for the night.

That one glimpse was enough for him to see how unhappy she looked, her downcast eyes were filled with unshed tears, and he slowed his approach. In his eagerness to find Sheila he realised that he hadn't got a clue what he was going to say to her. Strolling up behind her and casually announcing that everything was OK and it had all been a simple misunderstanding was hardly fitting.

He walked around the base of the tree, past the exposed roots, to ensure they would be face to face and tried to quickly think of where he could begin. Maybe suggesting they needed to talk, or starting by telling her he had been talking to Elleeka, or perhaps discussing about how to go looking for their friends, he just needed to say something. He needn't have worried however, as Sheila surprised him by speaking first.

"This is all my fault," she claimed.

_How could she possibly think any of this was her fault?_ Elleeka might have selected Sheila but that was down to chance, not because of something she had done, and he was not going to let her take the blame.

"Sheila …"

"No, Hank, I need to say this," she cut in. "What Elleeka did; what she did to you. It was because I told her."

She paused and lowered her head, obviously finding it difficult to put what she wanted to say into words. Hank, although curious about what it was that Sheila had told Elleeka, waited patiently for her to continue and after taking a couple of deep breaths she began again.

"I told Elleeka I love you. She must have thought she was being _nice_ by changing the way you felt. I …"

She raised her head and looked into his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured.

She stopped again and this time Hank could not remain silent.

"Elleeka didn't change my feelings," he stated, kneeling down before her. "Sheila, I love you."

"No … You just think you do," she argued.

"No, I know I do," he insisted. "Elleeka didn't change my feelings. I love you. I loved you before we even met her, before we even got here, before the Realm."

She was staring at him, straight into his eyes, and he could see she desperately wanted to believe him. Her eyes were almost pleading with him, needing him to convince her, and he took her hand in his determined to banish her doubts.

"I should have told you a long time ago. I love you. I've always loved you," he confessed. "I was just so scared of losing your friendship."

"You really love me?" she whispered.

"Completely," he replied. "Hopelessly."

He reached up and touched her cheek. "I'm crazy about you."

She smiled shyly, letting him know that she finally dared to believe it was true, and he cupped her face tenderly in his hands as he leaned towards her.

Wanting to make sure that Sheila knew the depth of his feelings from their _second first kiss_ he began slowly, his lips barely touching hers. Keeping his touch light he gently caressed her lips with his own, delighting in her sweet taste and in the way she was responding to him. He steadily increased the pressure, gradually parting her lips with his, and moved his hands to rest on her waist.

Leaning back he lifted her carefully from the tree until she was sat on his lap and continued kissing her, deliberately keeping things unhurried, varying the pressure as his lips moved against hers. He could feel her arms around him, holding him tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her before moving away from her mouth to trail little kisses down her neck.

Sheila gasped and then groaned in approval but the sound was enough to alert him to what he was doing and that they needed to stop. He couldn't risk losing control, not after only just getting things between them resolved so satisfactorily. She looked slightly disappointed as he ended his kisses but she smiled and they both sat for a moment or two, content to look into one another's eyes.

With the lack of motion Hank became aware of the ache in his lower legs due to the awkwardness of them being trapped beneath him and he tried to shuffle slightly to one side to ease the discomfort. However, Sheila must have noticed as she slid off of his lap and stood up, allowing him to do the same.

"As much as I would like to stay here and keep kissing you," he stated, making her smile and blush. "We need to get back to Elleeka."

"I guess so," Sheila agreed. "She likes being alone about as much as I do."

He smiled, took her hand and led her back to the clearing, relating as they went the further details he had learnt about Elleeka's powers and how her spell had been broken.

-X-

Upon re-entering the clearing with Hank, Sheila found Elleeka sitting up using her knees as a convenient resting place for her small wooden bowl while tracing the pattern with her finger. The girl's face was wet with tears and after a quick glance at Hank, Sheila dashed over to comfort her.

"You came back," Elleeka sobbed. "I didn't think you liked me anymore."

"It's not that I don't like _you_," Sheila assured her. "It's what you _did_ that I didn't like."

"I didn't mean to cause trouble, but I didn't know what to do," Elleeka whimpered. "I just wanted someone to look after me; like my mom and dad used to."

"I know you didn't mean to cause trouble," Sheila stated with a sigh and placed her arm around the girl.

Sheila realised she had been so focused on how Elleeka's powers had effected her and Hank that she hadn't given any thought about what had led to them being used in the first place, nor how the girl must have been feeling.

Clearly Elleeka was missing her parents and Sheila had to admit she was curious about them herself. She knew so little about them apart from the fact that she bore some resemblance to the girl's mother and that something had then happened and they had mysteriously disappeared.

"Did your parents give you that?" Sheila asked, indicating the bowl in Elleeka's lap.

The child nodded. "My dad made it for me. I like the pattern best."

"It's very beautiful," Sheila remarked, looking properly at the dish for the first time and seeing how detailed the design actually was and how much skill it must have taken to create it.

Elleeka smiled briefly and then sighed. "I miss them," she admitted tearfully.

"I know you do, Sweetie," Sheila replied, squeezing her a little tighter.

"You're not going to go away too, are you?" the girl asked, pleadingly.

"Of course we're not," Hank answered, kneeling down in front of them both.

Sheila looked at him and smiled, glad of his help in reassuring Elleeka.

"Do you remember what you were doing the day your parents disappeared?" he queried.

She nodded. "We went for a walk, near the cave we stayed in yesterday, but I didn't want to go."

"Why didn't you want to go?" Sheila asked.

"Because my head hurt, but mom said I had to go with them," she announced.

"So you went for a walk near the cave," Hank prompted.

"Yes," Elleeka confirmed, "and my head was really hurting and … and that's when I yelled at them."

"And then what happened?" Hank asked.

"I don't know," the girl admitted. "I think I fell asleep. I remember waking up."

She frowned and looked at Hank with a puzzled expression on her face.

"But I don't remember lying down first," she added.

"And your mom and dad weren't there when you woke up," Hank confirmed.

Elleeka shook her head. "I didn't _really_ want them to go away," she said sadly.

"I know you didn't," Hank replied.

After a moments silence, Sheila notice Elleeka rubbing her eyes and trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

"Time for you to get some sleep," she commented.

At this Elleeka looked alarmed but before Sheila could say anything Hank jumped in to reassure her.

"It's OK, we'll both be here when you wake up, I promise."

Elleeka smiled upon hearing this and Sheila and Hank then helped her to get settled for the night. She must have been exhausted as a few minutes later she was curled up under a blanket, her doll clutched tightly in her hand, sound asleep.

Sheila looked at Hank, wandering what he thought about what Elleeka had just told them. She couldn't understand why the girl's parents had seemingly abandoned her, especially as it sounded like she had been ill. Not unless they'd had no choice.

Elleeka and her family had been living very close to the Urla village. Perhaps after encountering the tribesmen her parents had hidden Elleeka away. Assuming at least one of them had the same ability as their daughter they may have wiped the event from her memory meaning to come back for her later. But they hadn't come back.

She shuddered, not liking where her thoughts were going.

"Sheila?" Hank asked, taking her hand.

"I'm fine," she replied, moving to sit beside him. "She's had it rough, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "I wonder what happened to them."

"So do I," she muttered.

"I guess we'll never know," he remarked.

"No, I guess not," she sighed.

She looked over at the sleeping child who had suddenly found herself all alone, unexpectedly separated from her family, and immediately thought of another child in a similar situation.

"Do you think Bobby will be OK?" she asked.

"He'll be fine," he assured her, placing an arm around her shoulder. "It's not like he's out there on his own."

"But what if he is?" she argued.

"He's not," Hank insisted. "He left Chand with the others and you know they'll stick together."

"That still doesn't stop me worrying about him," she confessed.

"I know," he replied, "but the others will keep an eye on him."

"Yeah, I guess," she agreed, hoping that he was right.

"They won't let anything happen to him," he continued, obviously seeing she wasn't completely convinced. "Diana and Eric will stop him from getting into trouble."

Sheila smiled slightly, knowing she could count on her friends, but this was the Realm and that meant anything could happen.

"Yeah, but with you here, who's keeping them out of trouble?" she wondered aloud.

"They'll all be fine," he reiterated, pulling her a little closer towards him. "Besides, I think we've had more than out fair share of trouble since we last saw them. There can't be any left over for them."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, having to agree that meeting up with a whole tribe of Urla on the warpath certainly fell into the category of 'more than enough trouble'.

"Now, there's one more thing before we try and get some sleep," he stated, tilting her head upwards with his hand.

"What's that?" she whispered as she found herself looking straight into his eyes.

"This," he replied, bending his head and gently pressing his lips against hers.

Sheila wrapped her arms around him as they kissed and followed him down as he leaned back until she was almost lying on top of him. She sighed happily as their kiss ended and lay with her head against his shoulder and moved her arm so that her hand rested on his chest.

"With any luck we'll find some sign of civilisation tomorrow," Hank said softly. "The others were heading north too, so hopefully we will find someone who's seen them."

"Oh, the village," Sheila replied, raising her head to look at him, suddenly remembered the houses she had spotted while watching the suns set earlier.

"I saw some houses not too far away, I would guess about a thirty or forty minute walk away," she continued. "I'd forgotten all about them until now."

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she remembered what had happened since she had seen the houses and Hank smiled.

"Did I distract you?" he asked playfully.

"Just a little," she whispered with a smile.

She moved slightly to give him a quick kiss and Hank sighed contentedly.

"I could get used to this," Sheila murmured, mirroring Hank's words from that morning.

"Me too," he agreed.

"Even when we're back with the others?" she asked.

"Try and stop me," he replied, moving in for another quick kiss.

Sheila sighed happily and smiled.

"I could do this all night," Hank claimed.

Sheila was half hoping he would but knew that wasn't possible. They both needed to rest so she was not surprised when he continued speaking.

"We'll start out early tomorrow and head for the village you saw."

Sheila smiled in agreement and lowered her head so it was once again resting on his shoulder. Hank reached over and managed to cover them both with a blanket without her needing to move and she wriggled a little closer to him as he kissed her forehead; happy and content in the arms of the man she loved.

-X-


	13. Chapter 13: Discoveries

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 13 – Discoveries**

When Hank had said 'early start' Sheila had known he'd meant it, but she was still a little surprised at how early this one had been. The three of them were now standing on the outskirts of the village she had spotted the night before and the first sun had still not made an appearance.

However, thanks to the cool morning air, Sheila felt wide awake and was optimistic about finding some clues relating to her brother's whereabouts. She looked at Hank and smiled.

"It seems peaceful enough," she commented.

"Yes, but we can't be sure," he remarked.

"Want me to take a closer look?" she volunteered.

He nodded. "But just look, that's all," he stated. "Promise me you'll keep your hood up until you get back here."

"I'll be careful," she assured him.

"Sheila!" he pressed, taking both her hands in his. "I mean it. Promise you won't do anything except look, no matter what you find."

"OK, I promise," she replied, seeing how concerned he was.

He seemed reluctant to release her, understandable given the last people they had encountered had been trying to kill her, and she stepped towards him and kissed him.

"The quicker you let me go, the quicker I'll get back," she whispered.

He smiled and after giving her hands a final squeeze released her and was looking into her eyes as she flicked up her hood and vanished.

Turning away she walked quickly and soon entered the village. It was fairly small, no more than twenty or so homes, with a single track leading through the centre and Sheila made her was silently along it. As she expected, it was very quiet and she found no signs of activity, not even when she looked in through the windows of the various dwelling.

All in all it seemed a normal enough place but, with all the inhabitants still in bed, there was very little Sheila could actually discover about them. With nothing else to do, she decided to simply check the last building at the far end of the village and then head back the way she had come and let Hank and Elleeka know that everything appeared perfectly ordinary.

As she approached she noticed it looked different from the other houses and it took a moment or two for her to realise why. It looked, not shabby, nothing so pronounced, just not as well maintained as everywhere else. The paint needed a fresh coat and the garden was in need of weeding.

There was also something else out of place, a bar across the door, sealing it closed, and the windows were higher than in the other properties, the top of her head only just level with the sill. Not wanting to leave it unchecked she picked up an empty wooden crate and used it as a convenient step stool to peer inside.

Sheila nearly fell off the box when she spotted the group lying together in the corner of the room. She had seen people sleeping in some of the other buildings but no one that she had recognised and while hoping to find Bobby and the others soon she had not expected to find them this quickly and certainly hadn't expected to see them sleeping inside.

For a second she considered calling them but then she remembered the door had been secured from the outside and she also noticed their weapons were missing, both indications that they were not in there voluntarily. If she shouted out to her friends then she risked alerting not only them to her presence but whoever had locked them in there too.

Climbing down from the crate she moved it and checked the remaining windows one by one but found no one else inside and no sign of their missing weapons either. Moving on to the door she tentatively tried to lift the bar that held it closed but found she couldn't budge it.

She scouted around, looking for something to help prise it out of position before recalling her promise to Hank. He had specifically said for her to do nothing except look and while not liking the idea of leaving her brother and friends trapped further attempts at freeing them would most likely make a noise and lead to her being caught.

Reluctantly she stopped trying to find a way to get them out and after one last glance at the house raced back through the village to rejoin Hank and Elleeka and inform them of her find.

-X-

Hank paced restlessly as he waited for Sheila's return. She had done this countless time before without any problems and there was no reason to suspect that this scouting trip would be any different, but he couldn't stop himself from worrying about her.

He always hated it when he had to let her go off alone like this and it was only now that he realised how much he had relied on his friends to distract him whenever she had done it in the past. A pep talk for Presto; discussing tactics with Diana; the Cavalier complaining about something, anything that would keep his mind away from the absent Thief.

Hank glanced over at Elleeka who, rather than being any use in preventing him from thinking about Sheila, had lay down and gone back to sleep. He couldn't take much more of this and he looked back towards the village wondering what could be taking her so long. She should have been back by now. Something must have happened to her and he was just standing here instead of going to help her. He would wake Elleeka and…

"Hank."

Sheila materialised in front of him and he instinctively pulled her into his arms, overwhelmed with relief at seeing she was safe.

She sounded breathless, as though she had been running, and seemed equally glad to be back with him so he knew she must have found something to alarm her. He held her tightly, waiting for her breathing to slow down before forcing himself to release her and find out what had happened.

"It's Bobby, Bobby and the others. They're inside one of the houses," she reported. "I … I think they're prisoners."

Hank looked at her in surprise. Finding their friends in a much shorter space of time than he had anticipated was welcome news but from the sound of things they were in trouble. He sighed. _Why did everything have to be so complicated?_ He could see Sheila was upset but he needed more information.

"Did they look OK?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. "I don't think they were hurt."

"Good," he replied, glad on that count at least. "Now, tell me everything you saw."

He listened as Sheila described the layout of the village the number of buildings and the position of the house containing their friends. She went on to tell him how she had been unable to open the door, had seen no sign of their weapons and had than left, not wanting to risk making any noise.

"Was anyone up and about?" he asked.

"No, everyone was still sleeping," she confirmed.

It was beginning to get lighter; the first sun already peeking over the horizon, which meant it wouldn't be long before the people in the village began to rise too.

"We'll need to hurry," he stated, kneeling down and gently shaking Elleeka's arm.

She woke up immediately and sat up, looking far more alert after her extra snooze than she had been when they had first set out that morning.

"Are we going?" she queried.

"Yes, but we have to be quiet," he informed her. "Sheila's found our friends, but it looks like they're in trouble."

Hank and Elleeka stood up and Sheila grabbed the girl's hand.

"If we're quick we should be able to free them before anyone sees us," he remarked, taking Sheila's other hand. "Let's go."

The three of them soon reached the far side of the village and were standing outside the house which contained their missing companions. Hank looked through the window and spotted Eric, Diana, Presto, Bobby and Uni lying on the floor on the far side of the room, just as Sheila had described.

Deciding, as Sheila had done, not to try calling out to them he moved to the door and tried to lift the bar. It didn't look particularly heavy so he was surprised that Sheila had not been able to move it but was even more surprised when he found he couldn't move it either, not even slightly. He frowned. He didn't want to have to blast the door open but they were running out of time with two out of four suns having now risen.

"Stand back, and be ready for trouble," he ordered, pulling an arrow and aiming for the wooden bar.

"STOP!" an unknown male voice commanded from somewhere behind him.

He paused. Sheila and Elleeka were not in his line of vision so he couldn't be sure if they were in immediate danger or not, a gamble he was not prepared to take.

"Now, turn around," the man instructed. "Slowly"

The Ranger let his arrow fade and did as requested and could now see Sheila, standing motionless, a short distance away, Elleeka beside her, still clutching her hand. Hank turned to look at the man who had discovered them and as their eyes met he suddenly found himself frozen to the spot.

That would explain why Sheila and Elleeka had been standing so still. They must be under the same enchantment that he now had on him. He couldn't even call out to them as the only thing unrestricted was his ability to breath and the freedom to move his eyes. Hank could still see Sheila, by looking to his right, but he focused on the stranger who held them captive, powerless to act, as the man approached.

He was a little taller than the Ranger and of a medium build with pale skin, thick blond hair and piercing grey eyes that Hank felt the full intensity of when the man stood scrutinising him. He found it a very uncomfortable experience, as though the stranger was able to read his thoughts and see into his soul, and the Ranger lowered his eyes unable to maintain the contact.

The man moved to one side and a second or two later Hank realised his bow had been removed from his hand. The stranger then made his way over to Sheila and the Ranger cursed inwardly at his inability to stop him. All Hank could do was watch as he stood in front of the Thief and hope he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

Hank noticed the man's eyes widen slightly as he looked at Sheila and he uttered a single word, but the Ranger couldn't make out what it was, and the man's face then returned quickly to an unreadable mask. After removing Sheila's cloak he turned his attention to Elleeka and spent far longer studying her than he had done with either Sheila or himself. At last he seemed satisfied and Hank found he was no longer frozen solid but he still had no control over his movements.

Turning around he saw the bar magically lift itself out of position, allowing the door to swing outwards, and he was unable to stop himself from stepping inside with Sheila and Elleeka just behind him. It was only when the door banged closed that he finally had the control of his body returned to him and he spun around and pushed against the door in frustration.

"Hank," Sheila said softly, placing her hand on his arm.

"Are you OK?" he asked, turning to her full of concern.

She nodded. "That was …" she shuddered.

"I know," he replied, placing an arm protectively around her shoulders.

"I didn't like it when the man looked at me," Elleeka started.

"Me neither, Sweetie," Sheila said, looking at the girl tenderly. "But he's gone now."

"What was it he said to you?" Hank asked Sheila.

"Theletra, I think," Sheila informed him.

"That's my m…"

"How long you plan on keeping us in here?" a voice yelled from down the hallway, cutting Elleeka off.

"It's just us, Eric," Hank replied, making his way with Sheila and Elleeka to the room where he had seen the others sleeping. "We've been captured too."

There was a frantic scuffling and he found all four of his friends on their feet as he turned the corner.

"Hank!" Diana exclaimed, staring at him open mouthed.

"Sheila!" the Barbarian yelled, racing over to greet his sister with a bear hug.

"Bobby," she cried, greeting him with equal enthusiasm.

"What … What are you doing here?" the Acrobat asked, sounding completed stunned.

"How did you get here?" Presto queried, sounding just as flabbergasted.

"We were trying to rescue you," Hank sighed. "Things didn't go quite according to plan."

"No, not _here_, here," Eric retorted, pointing at the ground. "_Here_, here, as in the Realm here. You're supposed to be at home."

Hank stared at the Cavalier, suddenly realising the reason for his amazement. They were under the impression that only the four of them had arrived in the Realm. Therefore, he and Sheila were the last people they could possibly have expected to see walking through the door. He turned to Sheila and saw that she had obviously remembered that too as she was looking at the child responsible for their memory loss.

"Elleeka," she whispered.

"Elleeka," he echoed.

Hank turned back towards his friends.

"You'd better sit back down," he stated. "This could take a while."

-X-


	14. Chapter 14: Introductions

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 14 – Introductions**

Sheila was leaning against the wall with her arm around her brother who, for once, was not protesting about her being _too mushy_ and appeared to be welcoming her closeness. She knew it was unlikely to last, putting it down to the fact that from his point of view they had been separated for considerably longer than five days, but for now she planned to make the most of it.

Hank had just about finished telling everyone what had really occurred as they had left Chand, along with a quick account of what had happened to the two of them since meeting Elleeka, and had now reached the point where they had discovered them in this house.

"So, let me get this straight. You're saying you actually came to the Realm at the same time as we did, but we forgot because of her!" Eric said, pointing at Elleeka.

"That about sums it up," Hank confirmed.

"Then you three went off playing happy families while we got crazy folk attacking us and shoving us in here for no reason," the Cavalier continued.

Sheila sighed and saw Hank scowl, but he chose not to take the bait. He didn't need to.

"Yeah, 'cause a tribe of Urla chasing you is _nothing_ compared to what we've been through," Diana quipped.

To his credit the Cavalier had the decency to look ashamed when the Acrobat reminded him of the Urla, but not enough to silence him.

"Yeah … But … Well you gotta admit it sounds nuts," he stated.

"Welcome to the Realm," Presto chipped in.

"Ha ha," Eric snapped back.

Sheila smiled, enjoying the relative normality of everything now they were all back together. It was almost like they had never been away.

"OK, so make with the magic, kiddo," Eric suddenly demanded, looking at the Elleeka.

The Thief wasn't sure what he meant and the girl appeared confused too.

"What magic?" Sheila asked.

The Cavalier glared at her. "The magic to reverse whatever it was that she did to us," he said exasperatedly before turning back towards the girl. "Come on kid, give us our memories back."

"I can't," Elleeka mumbled.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Eric challenged. "Sure you can."

The girl shook her head and scurried away to hide behind the Ranger.

"Leave her alone, Eric," Hank warned. "She doesn't know how to reverse the effect."

"Doesn't know how!" the Cavalier exclaimed. "But she has to."

"She doesn't," Sheila insisted. "You'll just have to wait until we find someone who can."

He frowned, clearly not happy and then, after a pause, he added. "Then how come you two are OK?"

Sheila had already noticed that the Ranger had been rather vague when he had explained some of the events of the last few days, particularly the part where their memories had returned, and she had hoped none of the others would pick up on it. She should have known Eric would mention it at some point and decided that it was time for a change of subject.

"Shouldn't we be trying to figure out how we get out of here?" she asked. "You mentioned you arrived here two nights ago, right?" she added, looking at Diana and Presto for support.

"Yes, that's right," the Acrobat confirmed.

"So what happened when you got here?" Hank queried, flashing a quick smile at Sheila, obviously pleased with how she had managed to steer the conversation away from having to explain about their kiss.

"We'd seen the village in the distance," Diana revealed, "and we thought it might be a good place to spend the night."

"Yeah, great place," Eric interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It was quite late when we eventually arrived, about a couple of hours after sun set," the Acrobat continued, scowling at the Cavalier but otherwise ignoring his interruption.

"And the next thing, human statues," Presto stated.

"Meah?" Uni bleated, and lifted her head from where it had been resting on the Barbarian's knee.

"And Uni," Bobby added. "She was frozen too.

"OK, one unicorn and four human statues," the Magician agreed.

"And they didn't give you any warning?" Hank enquired.

"No, nothing," Diana reiterated. "They just appeared from nowhere, froze us, helped themselves to our weapons and marched us in here."

"Like I said, crazy folk," Eric repeated.

"We don't know that Eric," the Acrobat remarked.

"Really!" the Cavalier argued. "Any better suggestions?"

Diana rolled her eyes and Sheila could easily image how annoyed she must be getting with Eric by now. He certainly had his moments and no matter how many times they found themselves in this kind of situation he always handled captivity extremely badly.

"The only thing we do know is we're waiting for their nestryphaeus," the Magician cut in.

"Nestryphaeus?" Sheila asked.

"Roughly translated; leader," Presto explained.

"I take it you've already tried escaping?" Hank commented.

Diana nodded. "We checked the building first," she informed him. "It's completely sealed."

"And we tried surprising them when they brought us something to eat," Presto continued, "but they just froze us again."

"Uni teleported out," Bobby announced proudly.

"Yes, and the little twerp got caught again in under a minute," Eric sneered.

"Leave it," Sheila whispered to her brother, seeing he was about to react.

The sound of the door opening was a welcome interruption and eight pairs of eyes focused on the entrance to the room, waiting to see who had entered the house. Sheila recognised the man who had captured her, Hank and Elleeka, but she hadn't seen the two people with him until now, a dark haired man and a black haired woman.

"The nestryphaeus will see you and you," the blond man announced calmly, pointing first at Elleeka and then at Sheila.

"You're not taking them anywhere," Hank claimed, jumping to his feet.

"Hank, it's OK," Sheila stated, standing up herself and moving to his side. "It's not like we really have a choice. They'll make us go with them if we refuse," she added softly.

She could see the Ranger wasn't happy about her going with them, she wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea herself, but resisting wasn't going to make any difference and she could tell that Hank realised that too. He took her right hand in both of his and Sheila knew he hated this; being forced to watch her being led away and unable to do anything about it.

"They will not be harmed," the blond man insisted. "Elia wishes to speak with them, that is all."

The Thief turned to look at the speaker and, for some reason, believed he was speaking the truth and felt that she and Elleeka would not be in any danger if they went with him.

"I'll be OK," she whispered to Hank who reluctantly released her hand.

She bent down to Elleeka.

"It's alright," she assured her. "Just keep hold of my hand and everything will be OK."

The child stood up and grasped Sheila's hand tightly and the Thief then walked over to the blond man.

"This way," he said flatly.

After one last glance at Hank, Sheila turned and with Elleeka at her side followed the trio out of the room.

Once outside the other two villagers ambled away and the blond man led Sheila and Elleeka back along the track through the village. He came to a stop outside a small, plain looking, house at about the half way point.

"Wait here," he instructed and then stepped up to the door and knocked.

A woman with shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair opened it.

"Thank you Sotiran," she said with a nod. "Show our guests in."

She disappeared back inside and Sotiran beckoned to Sheila and Elleeka. He stepped back, allowing them to enter, and Sheila then heard the door shutting behind her. She stood for a moment, waiting for Sotiran to reappear before realising he had remained outside; leaving her and Elleeka alone in the house with the woman she could only presume was the nestryphaeus.

The woman in question had had her back to them when they'd stepped inside but she turned to face them once the door had closed.

"So it's true, Theletra's image," she sighed, "but that is not the only reason I wished to see you."

"That's …" Elleeka began.

"Shush," Sheila whispered, wondering herself what it was that was true, but the woman was still looking at her in an odd way and the Thief found herself unable to look away.

In some ways it was similar to the scrutiny that she had received earlier from Sotiran but this was not so intense, an altogether gentler experience, and there was a feeling of sadness, as though the woman found it painful to look at her. After a moment or two it was over and the woman sat down and indicated that the two of them should do the same. They sat on a wooden bench and Sheila placed her arm protectively around Elleeka and waited expectantly to find out why they had been summoned.

"I am Elia, nestryphaeus of Galaton," she began. "And you are?"

"I … I'm Sheila," the Thief replied, "and this is Elleeka."

The woman nodded in acknowledgement.

"I wish to know why you are here," she stated. "You came here this morning with a companion. What did you want?"

"We were looking for our friends," Sheila informed her. "We'd been …," she glanced at Elleeka, "separated."

"Your _friends_ attacked us," Elia claimed.

"No they didn't," Sheila answered quickly and then, remembering she was still a prisoner, continued more calmly. "They told us they were the one's who were attacked."

"They arrived in the dead of night, armed," the nestryphaeus declared, "with dragon born weapons!"

When put like that Sheila had to admit it sounded bad, but she knew these people had made the first move and her friends had done nothing to provoke them.

"You and your young man had items from the graveyard too," Elia added. "Where did you acquire them?"

Sheila considered not answering but could not see how that would help and despite what Elia believed she had not shown any signs of anger towards the Thief or Elleeka.

"Dungeon Master gave them to us," she admitted.

"Dungeon Master!" Elia echoed.

She stared at Sheila for a few seconds and then leaned back in her chair.

"Dungeon Masters pupils?" she eventually asked.

"Yes," Sheila confirmed, "Sheila, also know as Thief."

"I see," Elia stated. "Perhaps things are not as they seemed."

She paused to study the two of them before continuing.

"If I remember correctly, there should only be six of you," she remarked. "You had only six weapons."

Sheila automatically looked at the child at her side.

"We sort of _found_ Elleeka a few days ago," Sheila informed her. "Just as we were leaving Chand."

"Chand. Of course," she murmured. "The Mayor mentioned receiving some assistance in despatching a creature that had been plaguing his township."

Elia turned her attention to the child.

"Sotiran mentioned that you were different from the rest of your group," she announced. "He informed me that you have power within."

Elleeka looked puzzled and Sheila smiled, sensing the atmosphere had become more relaxed.

"It means you can do magic without a weapon," the Thief said.

"Oh," the girl replied and then gazed at Elia. "Do you know my mom?"

Sheila was surprised at the unexpected question and Elia appeared equally astonished.

"Your mother?" the nestryphaeus clarified.

"Yes, my mom, Theletra," the girl confirmed. "You said Theletra, and the man did too, and she looks a lot like Sheila."

"Your mothers name is Theletra?" Elia asked.

"Uh-hum," Elleeka replied.

"And your father's name?" Elia enquired, almost in a whisper.

"Apsiou," she declared.

The woman gasped and covered her face with her hands.

"Elia, are you OK?" Sheila asked, genuinely concerned at the sudden change in her demeanour.

"Yes, forgive me, this was most unexpected," she answered, moving her hands.

The Thief was sure she saw her wiping a tear from her eye and waited, not quite sure what was happening. However, it seemed clear that Elia did indeed know Elleeka's mother and possibly her father.

"I did not realise that Theletra and Apsiou had a child," Elia revealed. "I would have searched for you had I known," she added, looking at the girl. "How old are you child?"

"I'm almost nine," Elleeka answered.

"Elia, who is Theletra?" Sheila asked softly.

The nestryphaeus turned back to Sheila. "My daughter."

Sheila could now understand why the news of who Elleeka's parents were had had such an effect on Elia's composure.

"Your Elleeka's grandmother!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, and you have restored her to me," Elia acknowledged. "You mentioned that you found her in Chand?"

"Yes, or rather she found us," the Thief admitted.

Sheila then told Elia everything that had occurred since Elleeka had first seen them, explaining why her brother and friends had left them behind. She then informed her that she had originally been alone with Elleeka and that Hank had joined them a day later. This then led on to her describing their encounter with the Urla and the way they had been forced to flee in the middle of the night.

"The three of you were chased by Urla," Elleeka's grandmother interrupted. "When was this?"

"Two nights ago," Sheila replied.

"So it was you I felt calling," Elia remarked, addressing Elleeka.

The Thief was confused and Elia went on to explain.

"All magic has a signature; a marker that points to it origin or source," she divulged. "For example, your weapons are imprinted with magic only found in the Dragons Graveyard. Elleeka's power bears the distinct Galaton base."

"OK," Sheila replied, getting the idea, but not understanding the relevance.

"Not many people are able to detect this base signature and even if they can, identifying it depends on prior knowledge of that particular marker," Elia continued. "Two nights ago, while visiting Chand, I felt someone with the Galaton stamp reaching out, someone who was very frightened."

"When the Urla attacked," Sheila clarified.

Elia nodded. "Everyone who bears the Galaton marker was here, or so I thought. I therefore presumed the danger was here and warned Sotiran that the village was under attack."

Sheila suddenly made the connection.

"And our friends just happened to arrive here at exactly the same moment," she guessed.

"Exactly," Elia confirmed. "It appears I own them an apology."

"They'll understand," Sheila assured her. "I'm just glad we somehow managed to find Elleeka's family."

"So, you're my family?" Elleeka queried.

"Yes my child," the nestryphaeus answered. "I will help you understand."

She rose from the seat and knelt down in front of the girl.

"Give me your hands," Elia requested.

Seeing Elleeka looked uncertain, Sheila quickly reassured her and the child held out her hands to her grandmother. Sheila watched curiously as some sort of exchange passed between the two, lasting about a minute, and ended with Elleeka smiling.

"So, I get to stay with you and you'll look after me?" she asked.

Elia nodded.

"It that OK, Sheila?" the girl asked.

"Of course it is," the Thief responded, smiling at both the child and her grandmother.

"Now, I think we should go and release your friends," Elia announced.

"Yes please," Sheila replied. "They'll be so worried about us."

The nestryphaeus opened a cupboard to reveal their missing weapons.

"I should also return these," she stated.

After handing Sheila her cloak, she passed her the club, bow and hat before picking up the shield and staff to carry herself.

They then left Elia's home and headed back towards the house where the others were imprisoned. Sheila noticed, with mixed emotions, that Elleeka chose to hold her grandmother's hand rather than her own. While glad that the girl seemed to have connected with her relative, she couldn't help but feel a little rejected.

Sotiran approached them and Sheila waited patiently as Elia briefly explained the situation. The woman's green eyes twinkled with delight as she spoke and the blond man seemed happy with the news, smiling warmly at all of them before letting them continue on their way.

On entering the house Sheila ran ahead, keen to greet her friends, knowing they would be concerned about her.

"Sheila!"

She barely had time to drop the weapons she had been carrying before Hank's arms had surrounded her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Are you OK?" he whispered. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, pulling back a little so she could look at him.

He suddenly appeared to register what she had brought back with her.

"Our weapons," he remarked, letting her go and picking up his bow. "You found them."

"They were given back," Sheila admitted as Elia and Elleeka entered the room.

The Thief saw Hank tense and was quick to make the introduction.

"Guy's this is Elia, Elleeka's grandmother," she declared. "Elia, meet Hank, Bobby, Diana, Presto, Eric and Uni," she added, pointing out each of her friends in turn as she named them.

Sheila noticed that Eric was staring at Elia with a frown on his face.

"You again," he commented.

"Yes, we meet again," she acknowledged. "We passed one another on the road to Chand," she added, obviously for the benefit of Sheila, Hank and Elleeka. "However, I suggest we continue this discussion outdoors. I'm sure you would appreciate the fresh air."

The group then moved outside where everyone was soon updated on what had led to them being captured and how the relationship between Elleeka and Elia had been discovered. As Sheila had expected, her friends all seemed to appreciate how the misunderstanding had occurred, with only Eric still a little sulky on the matter.

"Don't suppose you know how to fix what she did?" he muttered.

"Eric, give it a rest," the Acrobat snapped, nudging him in the ribs.

"Hey, I just want my memories back to normal," he complained. "Is that too much to ask?"

"Of course not," Elia interjected, meeting his eye.

Sheila saw the glazed look in the Cavalier's eyes and smiled, remembering how Hank had appeared when she had seen Elleeka using her power at the crossroads. The nestryphaeus then looked at Diana, Presto, Bobby and finally Uni, leaving each standing motionless for a couple of minutes while she undid the spell her granddaughter had used.

Eric re-emerged first, shaking his head.

"Thanks, I think," he mumbled.

Elia waited until they had all awakened and then addressed them

"I owe you all a great debt for bringing Elleeka home," she said. "And I intend to ensure you are rewarded."

"I'm just glad we could help," Hank replied, sliding his arm around Sheila's waist.

She leaned towards him, getting the impression that he was already quite happy with the _reward_ he had.

"Tonight is the Purnima," Elia commented.

"What's a Purnima?" Bobby asked.

"The Purnima is where all three moons are full," she explained, "At the Purnima my people can pool their abilities together, creating magic far more powerful than any one of us could ever achieve alone."

"How powerful?" Presto queried.

"Just enough to briefly open a portal to your home world," she replied.

"Alright!" the Barbarian yelled. "We're going home."

"Told you we'd figure it out." Eric remarked.

"Figure it out?" Sheila asked.

"DM's riddle," he sighed. "You must find that which is lost but does not know that it is lost, meaning Elleeka, and those who seek but do not know that they seek, meaning everyone here. Combined, the power to send you home exists, which it does."

The Thief knew the Cavalier, like the rest of them, had had no idea what the riddle had meant until that moment, but right now she was too happy to care.

"It is many hours until nightfall," Elia said with a smile. "So for now I suggest we eat and celebrate the safe return of Elleeka to _her_ home."

"Great," Eric and Bobby cried in unison, following Elia as she led the way to where they would find food.

The others proceeded after them, leaving Sheila and Hank to follow on behind.

"Hank, we're really going home?" she asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes," he replied, squeezing her to him. "We're going home."

-X-

**Authors Note: **Or maybe not. I could have made this the end but I still have one or two loose ends to tidy, so another chapter to follow soon.


	15. Chapter 15: Secrets

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 15 – Secrets**

The revelation that the strangers were really Dungeon Master's pupils and the fact they had arrived with the missing granddaughter of the nestryphaeus quickly spread throughout Galaton. The whole village was buzzing with excitement, a mixture of joy at the good news combined with the added anticipation of the approaching Purnima.

At first the Ranger had enjoyed the festivities, with everyone being keen to meet the adventurers, but as the day wore on he began to find it tiresome and he knew Sheila was finding the extra attention uncomfortable. He looked around, surprised at how busy it was for such a small place and saw his friends scatted about, each surrounded by people eagerly asking questions about their various deeds.

He then spotted some of the villagers pointing at himself and Sheila.

"Come on," he whispered to the Thief. "Time for a quick escape."

She smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of sight around the corner of the nearest building.

"Any suggestions on where we can hide?" Sheila asked.

"How about the house where Sotiran put us when he captured us?" he proposed.

"Good idea," she agreed. "No one will look there."

"I hope not," he replied, "because I want you all to myself," he added, pulling her towards him to give her a quick kiss.

She giggled. "We should hurry then, before anyone catches us here."

Hand in hand, the two of them dashed around the back of the buildings, purposely avoiding the busy street, and stopped behind the house where they had found their friends that morning.

"We just need to get inside without being seen," Hank remarked.

"Leave it to me," the Thief said, pulling up her hood.

He had expected her to leave immediately but he felt her hand on the side of his face. Then she kissed him, slowly, and he responded, wrapping his arms around her invisible body.

"I love you," he whispered as she broke away.

"I love you too," she breathed softly in his ear. "And I just had to do that."

He smiled. "You can do that anytime you like."

"Anytime?" she asked.

He laughed, knowing from her tone she had realised, as he had, how strange it would appear if she did the exact same thing again with an audience with him visible and her still concealed beneath her cloak.

"Wait here," she said cheerfully, "I'll see if the coast is clear."

He waited and in less than a minute heard her calling.

"Hank, quick," she hissed.

He darted around the corner, straight into the house, and Sheila re-materialised. Dropping his bow, his hands instantly went to her waist and he stepped towards her, pushing her gently against the wall.

"Looks like you're my prisoner," he said playfully.

He bent his head towards hers and then paused, watching her closely. The rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed, the almost imperceptible movement of her lips and her beautiful, bewitching eyes, returning his gaze, filled with anticipation.

"What do you plan to do with me?" she whispered.

The warmth of her breath on his face almost drove him wild and he couldn't wait any longer, quickly closing the remaining distance between them and pressing his lips against hers. Sheila responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him closer and he let himself relax, melting into her arms and welcoming the rush of heat that spread slowly throughout his body.

The Ranger pushed himself against her, pinning her to the wall and deepened the kiss, running the tip of his tongue teasingly against her lips before forcing himself to slow things down, knowing he couldn't let things go too far. He didn't break away completely, but eased back a little and reduced the amount of pressure he was applying with his lips while holding her waist firmly to prevent her from pulling him closer.

Finally he pulled his head back and smiled as Sheila sighed and gradually opened her eyes.

"So, that's what you had in mind," she commented, "and me helpless and at your mercy."

"I don't do that with all my prisoners," he replied, grinning at the Thief.

"I should hope not," she retorted, biting her lip as she tried, without success, not to laugh.

Hank laughed too but then they both stopped abruptly, tensing at a sound coming from the room where they had found their missing friends. Indicating that they should be quiet he retrieved his bow from the floor before leading the way to find out who was inside.

"Elleeka!" he exclaimed, spotting the little girl in the corner.

The scene reminded him of the previous evening as the child appeared to have been crying and was sitting with her knees curled up against her chest. Her treasured gift, the decorative wooden bowl, was at her side and once again she was tracing the pattern with her finger.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Sheila cried, racing over to the girl and putting her arm around her.

Elleeka looked up and sniffed but didn't say anything.

"It's OK," Hank stated kindly, kneeling down in front of the child.

"I'm not allowed to tell," the girl replied.

Hank glanced at Sheila and he could see she was as concerned about Elleeka as he was.

"Who said you can't tell?" Sheila queried. "Was it your grandmother?"

The girl nodded.

"Have you fallen out?" the Ranger asked.

"No, I still like grandma," she assured them.

Then what could be upsetting her, Hank wondered. Elleeka had seemed fine when he had seen her about thirty minutes ago, playing happily with some of the other children in the village, but something had obviously happened since then. He noticed the girl had returned her attention to her bowl, _a gift from her father_, and it occurred to him that perhaps that was it. Maybe one of her new friends had mentioned their parents, reminding Elleeka that her own were missing.

"Is it something to do with your mom and dad?" he guessed.

The girl didn't answer but the fresh tears forming in her eyes suggested he was on the right track.

"Oh, Sweetie, I wish we could help," Sheila said, "but we don't know where they are."

"They're here," the girl replied sadly and then covered her mouth with her hand.

"Here!" Hank repeated in surprise. "What do you mean they're here?"

Elleeka did not answer and sat staring at the Ranger, wide eyed, seemingly realising she had said more than she had meant to.

"Your parents are here in Galaton?" Hank persisted.

However, the little girl had clammed up; refusing to say anything more and was keeping her hand over her mouth while shaking her head.

"Elleeka, you have to tell us," he demanded.

"I can't," the girl mumbled, visibly beginning to get upset again.

"You promised your grandmother you wouldn't say anything, didn't you?" Sheila interrupted.

The girl nodded.

"It's OK," Sheila continued, "we won't make you break your word."

Hank looked at her, not happy that she had just told Elleeka she could keep her secret, but also knowing that he was being unfair to keep pushing her. The Thief met his gaze, the expression on her face being one that she normally reserved for her brother when he was trying his luck and he backed down, smiling at Sheila to let her know that she was right.

However, Hank still wanted to discover what had happened to Elleeka's parents, find out if they really were in the village as she had said and wondered how he could get the child to reveal the truth without breaking her promise to Elia. _The girl had said she wasn't allowed to tell, but …_

"Elleeka, can you _show_ us where your parents are?" he enquired.

"Hank," Sheila began, but then stopped and stared at him, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Your grandmother didn't say you weren't allowed to show us, did she?" the Ranger continued.

OK, so he was deliberately taking Elleeka's apparent promise literally, but there was something going on here that involved the girl's parents, something that Elia obviously thought should be a secret and he was determined to find out what it was. Elleeka appeared to be puzzling over his request as she had stopped shaking her head and no longer had her mouth covered.

"Will you show us?" he asked.

"OK," the girl replied, sounding uncertain, before adding more confidently, "I'll show you."

Hank looked at the Thief, expecting her to disapprove but although she didn't look completely comfortable with what he was doing she didn't make any objections. He guessed that was partly because she was equally curious about the mystery surrounding Elleeka's missing parents.

The girl stood up and Hank and Sheila quickly did the same. The Ranger then held out his hand for Elleeka. The girl took it and once outside grabbed Sheila's hand too before leading them to the back of a building about half way along the village.

It was only when they walked round to the front that Hank realised it was Elia's house and he and Sheila followed Elleeka inside. The Thief closed the door hastily behind them, obviously concerned about them being spotted creeping into the home of the nestryphaeus.

"In here," Elleeka stated, crossing the room and opening a door in the corner.

The girl disappeared into the room and Hank followed with Sheila just behind him. He stopped with a gasp as soon as he caught sight of the two people in the room and Sheila cried out in surprise as she reached his side.

The Ranger didn't need Elleeka to tell him they were her parents; she had already said that Sheila resembled her mother but it was much more than that. Apart from Theletra being older, she and Sheila were remarkably similar in appearance, their creamy skin, their facial structure, everything, even the shade of their shoulder length red hair.

As for the man beside her, Hank could easily tell he was Elleeka's father. The child had inherited most of her facial characteristics from him and like his daughter, his hair was light blond. However, it wasn't their physical features that had so shocked him, but the state they were in.

Apsiou and Theletra were lying side by side, unconscious, and it appeared from the almost clinical layout of the room that they had been that way for a long time.

-X-


	16. Chapter 16: Emergence

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 16 – Emergence**

Hank was still astounded by the discovery of Elleeka's parents in Elia's home even though he, Sheila, and Elleeka had been back outdoors for several minutes. They had practically bumped into Presto as they had left and Sheila had been the one to briefly explain to him what they had been doing before the Magician had been accosted by a group of children wanting him to show them some of his magic tricks.

While inside Elleeka had informed them that her grandmother had said her mom and dad were sick but that she was trying to find a way to make them better. Both he and Sheila had uttered words of agreement and the girl now seemed much happier, but he wasn't completely convinced himself. On the one hand it made sense, Theletra was Elia's daughter so it would be natural for her to want to make her well, _but then why the secrecy, and how did they come to be there anyway?_

There had to be a reason why the nestryphaeus would be keeping her comatose daughter and son–in-law hidden away and he planned on asking her what that reason was. But he also knew he needed to tread carefully and not sound accusatory when he didn't have all the facts. He needed time to figure out the best way to approach things.

Sheila had been affected by what she had seen too, he could tell by the apprehensive look in her eyes and the way she had slipped her hand into his for reassurance.

"Hank," Sheila said softly, interrupting his thoughts, "I think we were seen leaving the house."

"You're sure?" he asked.

The Thief nodded.

"The dark haired woman who was with Sotiran this morning," she explained. "She was looking at us while we were talking to Presto and I've just seen her talking to Elia."

The Ranger automatically looked in the direction Sheila indicated and saw the nestryphaeus heading towards them. _So much for having time to work out what to say to her,_ he thought. Sheila's hand gripped his tighter and he squeezed back gently but did not turn his head, remaining focused on Elia as she approached.

The nestryphaeus stopped in front of Hank and stood staring him, her green eyes boring into him, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable and rendering him temporarily speechless. Finally, after thirty seconds that seemed to last forever, Elia spoke.

"You met my daughter!"

It was a statement, not a question, but the Ranger nodded in acknowledgement. He felt like a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but he was prepared to take responsibility, keen to make sure that Sheila and Elleeka would not get the blame for his actions. After all, he had been the one to coerce Elleeka into revealing her parents location.

"It's my fault," he began, but the nestryphaeus raised her hand to silence him.

"No, you are the pupils of Dungeon Master," she remarked. "I should have realised I could not keep this from you."

Hank looked at her, surprised at her calm reaction considering they had been sneaking about inside her home and was uncertain about how he should respond. She seemed to be considering her options too and after a short pause appeared to reach a decision.

"I will tell you," Elia stated before glancing at her granddaughter.

From the look of concern etched on her face Hank got the impression that she did not want the little girl around for whatever she wanted to say. Sheila must have reached the same conclusion as, after a barely audible sigh, she offered a solution.

"Elleeka, I saw you with some new friends earlier," she commented. "Would you take me to meet them?"

The girl seemed to like the suggestion and after a quick glance at her grandmother, who nodded her permission, she pulled on the Thief's hand. Sheila's eyes met Hank's as he let her go and he saw a mixture of emotions reflected in them; relief that they didn't appear to be in trouble combined with a hint of disappointment that she would not hear about Elleeka's parents first hand.

-X-

Sheila allowed Elleeka to pull her along the street to the fields that lined the northern edge of the village and soon found herself surrounded by a group of girls, varying in age from somewhere between five to eleven years old. They were an amicable bunch and the Thief was please to see that Elleeka appeared to be making new friends easily.

"Elleeka said you can make a necklace out of flowers," one of the older girls commented.

Sheila smiled. "Would you like me to show you how?" she asked.

"Yes please," the girl replied enthusiastically.

This was followed by several more eager shouts from some of the other children, all wanting to join in.

A short while later the group was sitting quietly, all engrossed in the task of making daisy chains, earning her praise from Pachna, one of the woman from the village who had been watching the children.

"The children like you," she remarked.

"I like them too," the Thief replied, "and I'm glad to see that Elleeka is fitting in so well."

"Yes, she … Excuse me," Pachna turned her attention to one of the smaller girls who was rubbing her eyes with her hands. "Ardath, is your head tingling?"

The child nodded.

"It will be OK," Pachna assured her, smiling kindly. "It's only your Emergence."

Sheila stood back and watched, intrigued, as Pachna first helped the child to her feet and then called over one of the other woman. She mentioned Emergence and the woman, Ardath's mother, took the girls hand and led her away, disappearing inside one of the houses. Pachna then turned back to the Thief.

"We had been expecting Ardath to reach her Emergence for a few days now." she informed Sheila, as though that explained everything.

"What's Emergence?" Sheila asked.

"Oh, forgive me, you must be wondering what is happening?" Pachna guessed. "The Emergence is where a child's powers become functional."

"So the children aren't born with their magic?" Sheila asked.

"Not exactly. The children all have their powers at birth, but they are not very strong, and they can only use them on people who have already been through the Emergence. This way they get to practice how to use their abilities on their parents without being able to cause any harm."

"And after the Emergence they can use their powers on anyone?" the Thief queried.

"Yes, that is why it is important that the child is separated from the others for their Emergence," Pachna explained. "When the magic within them first reaches its full potential it can be confusing and the child can sometimes lose control for a few minutes until they adjust."

"Is it dangerous?" Sheila asked in concern.

"Typically, no," Pachna replied. "And in Ardath's case, it would be extremely unlikely. She is very young for the Emergence, only just five years old, so her abilities will not be very strong."

"Will they get stronger as she gets older?" The Thief inquired.

"No, they are fixed in strength at the time of the Emergence," Pachna stated. "It is the age of the child at the Emergence that will indicate how much power they possess."

"Then the Emergence happens at different times for different children?" Sheila queried.

"Yes, and the older they are at that time, the more powerful the magic, and the higher the likelihood that they will lose control," she confirmed.

"So, if it occurs when a child is five they will always have less power than someone who's Emergence occurred when they were older," Sheila clarified and then asked. "What is the maximum age for it to happen?"

"It usually happens when they are five or six, but it has been known to occur when a child is seven and I have heard rumours of a case where it was as late as eight," Pachna revealed. "However, it can be painful if the child is more than six years of age and the first surge of power could prove dangerous to both the child and overseeing parent, so I'm not sure that would even be possible."

"Painful," Sheila repeated. "Painful how?"

"Headache mainly," Pachna disclosed, "but I remember Jere passed out at his Emergence and his mother was unable to sleep for a week afterwards. But, at seven and a half, he was the oldest Emergence case I personally know of."

Sheila thought back to the previous evening, recalling what Elleeka had told her and Hank about the last time she had seen her parents. The girl had said her head hurt and from the way she has described waking up without remembering going to sleep, had possibly lost consciousness.

If that had been Elleeka's Emergence; either she had been on her own for a lot longer that Sheila had first thought or, if what she had told Elia that morning about being almost nine was true, she had been eight years old when it happened.

"Are you OK?" Pachna asked, breaking into her contemplation.

"Yes, I was just thinking about what Elleeka said about something that happened before Hank and I found her," Sheila admitted.

She considered mentioning all the details but decided against it, opting to wait until she had chance to talk to the Ranger and thinking that it was maybe something they should then discuss with Elia as it involved her granddaughter.

"She described having a really bad headache and I was wondering if it was her Emergence," the Thief revealed.

"Very likely, Pachna agreed. "Headaches are not common at any other time."

Sheila nodded and found herself looking down the village at the house where Hank was currently hidden away with the nestryphaeus. She was keen to let him know about what she had just learnt and was also eager to find out what it was that Elia was telling him. Pachna must have noticed the direction of her gaze as she commented on it.

"You are impatient to be back with your young man," she stated.

The Thief blushed and Pachna seemed to take this as confirmation.

"Elleeka will be fine here," she said. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thanks," Sheila replied with a smile.

While knowing she would not be able to go inside, she headed towards Elia's home and then stood leaning against a building opposite to wait for the Ranger to reappear.

-X-

With the street full of people Elia had taken Hank back indoors to tell him about her daughter. He had sat when asked, deliberately choosing to sit with his back to the room which contained Elleeka's parents to avoid the temptation of staring at the door, and waited for Elia to begin. The nestryphaeus had then started by telling him some background information about herself and her daughter.

Theletra and Apsiou had been childhood sweethearts who had married young, their wedding having been bought forward to take place a short time before the death of Elia's husband, Kionil. Although not unexpected, the bereavement had been very difficult for the family and the normally close relationship between mother and daughter had become strained.

"We argued; something I deeply regret," Elia admitted. "They left Galaton together soon afterwards, just over ten years ago, and for most of that time I knew nothing of them."

The Ranger waited, not wanting to interrupt Elia by asking questions.

"A few months ago they unexpectedly reappeared, walking calmly into the village, but they … they had no memory of who they were," she divulged. "They couldn't speak, couldn't eat; empty shells with no knowledge of anything or anyone, and unable to tell us where they had been or what had happened to them."

She paused momentarily, her eyes looking past the Ranger towards the door in the corner.

"I was unable to do anything for them so I brought them here and used a suspension spell on them," she admitted sadly. "It's the only way to keep them alive until I can find a way to help them."

The nestryphaeus stopped and returned her gaze to Hank.

"I had not meant for Elleeka to find out about them so soon," she explained, "and I am grateful for your help in comforting her."

"We stumbled across her," Hank revealed. "I just wish there was something we could do to help," he added.

"You have already restored my granddaughter to me," Elia replied with a smile.

The nestryphaeus stood up and the Ranger did the same.

"Enough dwelling on things we cannot change," she stated. "This should be a day of celebration. I have Elleeka and you are about to go home."

Hank followed Elia back outside to find Sheila waiting for him on the opposite side of the street. Elia must have spotted her too as she turned to Hank.

"You are a lucky young man," she commented.

"Yes, I know," he affirmed, blushing slightly and gazing at the Thief as she approached.

"I have work to do," Elia murmured and by the time Hank had turned his head she had done a disappearing act worthy of Dungeon Master.

"Is everything OK?" Sheila asked as she reached his side.

"Yes," he assured her. "Where's Elleeka?"

"With her friends, making daisy chains," the Thief replied. "But what happened? What did Elia tell you?"

Hank smiled and they began walking slowly though the village as he repeated what the nestryphaeus had shared with him.

"That's so sad," Sheila sighed. "Poor Elia, poor Elleeka!"

"I know," the Ranger agreed, slipping his arm around the Thief's waist.

"Oh, I found out a bit more about Elleeka's power while you were with Elia," Sheila informed him.

The Thief went on to tell him what she had leaned from Pachna regarding the Emergence and had just concluded when they saw Presto chatting animatedly with Sotiran.

"Hank, Sheila," the Magician greeted them. "Sotiran's been explaining about the Purnima. Did you know the next one is not for another thirty years?"

The blond man smiled, seeming to like the enthusiasm shown by the Magician on the subject.

"Speaking of the Purnima, I have some preparations to do," he stated. "The suns are already beginning to set."

Hank and Sheila both smiled and Sotiran then departed, giving the Ranger chance to update Presto on what he had learned about Elleeka's parents.

"I mentioned Theletra and Apsiou to Sotiran," Presto informed them, once Hank had finished.

"What did he say?" Hank asked.

"Not a lot," the Magician replied, "just that they're sick and that Elia had hoped to use the Purnima to help them."

"Then why doesn't she?" Sheila asked. "Why offer us a way home instead?"

"Elia would need to know what made them ill to accurately channel the collective power of the villagers to heal them," Presto stated. "Problem is, no one knows what happened to Elleeka's parents."

Hank felt numb. The pieces fitted together all too well and the words_ if you should choose to use it_, the last line from Dungeon Master's riddle, echoed in his head. He knew what this meant and as much as he wanted to go home he had to say something.

"I think I know," Hank admitted, looking from Presto to the Thief.

"Me too," Sheila added, meeting the Ranger's eye.

He smiled resignedly and they both turned to the Magician who looked perplexed.

"You know what happened to Theletra and Apsiou?" he asked.

"Yes," Hank confirmed, "or at least, a very good theory."

Presto was staring at him in amazement, obviously waiting for him to continue.

"We should get the others," Hank decided. "You find Eric, Sheila and I will round up Bobby and Diana. We'll meet you in the house where we were held prisoner."

"OK," the Magician replied before moving off to find the Cavalier.

Hank and Sheila did the same, keen to find their friends quickly and inform them of this latest development.

-X-


	17. Chapter17:If You Should Choose To Use It

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 17 – If You Should Choose To Use It**

When Presto repeated what Sotiran had said about the original plan of how to use the Purnima Hank had realised they had a choice to make; keep quiet and let Elia open a portal or tell the nestryphaeus what they knew and refuse her offer. Not that it was really a choice.

Keeping the possible solution to the mystery surrounding Theletra and Apsiou's condition was unthinkable in his mind, but he thought it was only fair that the others were given a chance to have their say in the matter. He knew Sheila felt the same way as he did on the subject and the others were reacting exactly as he had expected.

"You're saying that Elleeka _accidentally_ wiped her own parents' memories," Eric said sceptically. "And that Elia can fix them at the Pani … Purna …."

"Purnima," Presto offered.

"Yes, that," the Cavalier snapped.

"That's exactly what we're saying," Hank confirmed, trying not to lose his patience. "The Purnima could be used to heal Theletra and Apsiou providing the people here know what actually happened to them."

"We already knew Elleeka had a headache when she last saw them," Sheila added. "And now we know about the Emergence, and how dangerous it can be, especially if Elleeka was eight years old when it happened."

"But we don't know for sure," Eric argued.

"We all want to go home, Eric," Diana remarked, "but can you really be suggesting that we don't tell Elia what we think happened to her own daughter?"

"Can't they do both?" Bobby asked.

"Elia said that there would only be just enough power to briefly open a portal," his sister reminded him. "It's the portal or Elleeka's mom and dad."

"Well won't there be another one they can use," Eric suggested, beginning to sound desperate.

"Not for thirty years," the Magician remarked.

"Then …, but …"

The Cavalier sighed, finally seeming to accept the inevitable.

There was a brief but awkward silence, broken by the Acrobat.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"We go and find Elia," Hank stated.

-X-

The Cavalier was the last to leave the house and he stood in the doorway for a moment to watch his friends. All four suns had set while they had been inside and two moons were now clearly visible overhead, shining brightly enough to make lamps unnecessary.

He had argued more than he'd intended about telling Elia what they knew but it was just so frustrating, having yet another chance snatched away from them. He had also sounded sceptical regarding the idea of Elleeka's involvement in her parents' amnesia being anything other than an accident, despite actually believing it to be true. It was certainly a good explanation from what Sheila had described about the Emergence.

Eric just wished; he wasn't sure what he wished. That they hadn't figured it out, that Sheila had not been told about the Emergence, that Elleeka had not let slip about her parents being here, but no, he didn't really want that. Getting home at any cost was not an option, he agreed with the others completely on that point, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

He noticed the Acrobat had stopped to wait for him and he moved to joined her.

"You still disagree with this?" she said as he reached her.

For a moment he was tempted to say yes, just to see what she would say in response, but he resisted the urge, not really in the mood for arguing any more.

"No," he admitted. "I know it's the right thing to do."

"Better luck next time, right?" she commented.

"Yeah, next time," he agreed, smiling wryly.

She smiled back and they started walking, their friends already some distance ahead, when Eric suddenly noticed Hank and Sheila were holding hands.

"When did that happen?" he demanded.

"What?" Diana asked.

"That," he stated, pointing at the couple. "Mr and Mrs Ranger."

He had long thought the two of them had a _thing_ for one another but this was the first time he had seen any indication that they had done something about it and he was certain they hadn't been together when they had left Chand.

"Oh," Diana replied, sounding as though it was new news to her too. "I don't know, but it's about time."

"Yeah, I know _that_," the Cavalier remarked, rolling his eyes, "but why now?"

"How should I know?" the Acrobat responded.

"I figured you might," he said. "Sheila didn't say anything to you?"

"You think I'd tell you if she had?" Diana retorted.

"It's not like it's a secret anymore," Eric claimed.

"Guess not," she agreed, "but that last time I was alone with Sheila was six days ago and they weren't together then."

"Then something must have happened since then," Eric commented.

"Obviously," Diana snapped and then grinned. "Well, you said it yourself; they were off playing happy families while we got crazy folk."

He glared at her, annoyed but impressed at her use of his own words to taunt him.

"I don't know, Eric," the Acrobat sighed exasperatedly. "You'll just have to ask them."

"Fine, I will," the Cavalier declared and sped up to catch up with Hank and Sheila.

"Not now," Diana hissed, dashing after him and grabbing his arm before he reached them. "We've just found Elia."

Eric looked up to see that the Acrobat was right, the nestryphaeus was heading towards them.

"I was wondering where you had disappeared to," she commented. "It will soon be time."

"We need to tell you something about what happened to Theletra and Apsiou," Hank stated. "We think it was Elleeka's Emergence."

To Eric's surprise Elia just smiled wistfully, as though she had already known this, but her answer proved otherwise.

"I wish it was that simple, but Theletra and Apsiou have only been back in Galaton for a few months," she informed them. "Elleeka is almost nine years old; her Emergence must have occurred at least a year ago."

"So she couldn't have caused her parents memory loss," the Cavalier blurted out, earning him disapproving looks from both the Acrobat and the Ranger.

"No, I do not believe so," the nestryphaeus replied sadly, meeting his gaze.

Being wrong about the girl's involvement in her Theletra and Apsiou's condition meant they could still use the Purnima to go home, which should have been welcome news, but Eric found he suddenly didn't feel that way. Maybe it was because he had seen the anguish in Elia's eyes when she had spoken to him and he tried to imagine how hard it must be for her to have so much power available, yet be powerless to use it to aid her own daughter.

A small, whiny, voice, in the back of his head was telling him it didn't matter, to forget about it, that they had tried and it was time to go home but he wilfully ignored it. He needed to be sure that they really had jumped to the wrong conclusion about Elleeka and her parents.

"But Pachna told Sheila that headaches only usually happen at the Emergence, and Elleeka's head hurt enough to make her collapse," he pointed out.

"A headache?" Elia queried sharply.

"Yes," Hank confirmed. "We asked Elleeka about her parents disappearance and she described having a headache and passing out."

"Anything else?" Elia pressed.

"I don't think so," the Ranger replied.

"No, there was something else," Sheila remarked. "She yelled at them too, but I can't remember what it was that she said."

"Oh yeah, she did," Hank agreed, looking at the Thief. "Urm… What was it … Shut up and go away, that was it," he added, turned back to Elia.

"Shut up and go away," Elia echoed softly. "I see."

She turned her head to glance at her granddaughter and sighed. Eric watched her closely and from the thoughtful expression on her face he concluded that she now believed they had been right after all regarding Elleeka and her parents.

"Isn't there some way of checking when Elleeka's Emergence happened?" the Magician asked.

"No," Elia replied, turning her attention away from her granddaughter and back to the group. "I would not be able to tell… unless… I could find out how much power Elleeka has which would be a good indication."

The nestryphaeus turned once more to look at Elleeka and called out to her, summoning her, and the girl obediently jumped to her feet and dashed over.

"I need to find out how strong your powers are." Elia informed her. "Is that OK?"

Elleeka nodded and Elia knelt down and placed one hand on top of her head.

"It might tingle a little, but it will not hurt," Elia stated.

The Cavalier looked on as the nestryphaeus then closed her eyes and he guessed that she was somehow connected to Elleeka using telepathy, or something similar. He expected it would take several minutes, so was surprised when Elia gasped and pulled away sharply after only a few seconds.

"Elia!" Sheila cried out.

"I am fine," Elia assured her, "but it seems you were correct. Elleeka is extremely powerful. Her Emergence must have been unusually late. It would have been painful for her and very dangerous for Theletra and Apsiou."

The nestryphaeus turned to her granddaughter and smiled.

"I will need to begin helping you learn more about your abilities," she informed her. "Teach you how to use your magic safely."

"Safely?" Eric questioned. "You mean it's not safe now?"

"If Elleeka uses her full power and it is not controlled, then yes, the effects could be, problematic." Elia said.

"But she used her magic on us," Eric remarked, starting to worry.

"Yes, but apart from not knowing how to undo her spell, she must have been in control as I was able to easily reverse the effects myself," she assured him. "It appears it was only at the moment of Emergence that anything damaging occurred," she added sadly.

"Did I do something wrong?" Elleeka asked, looking bewildered.

"No, my dear," Elia said quickly. "You have done nothing wrong."

Elia then briefly explained to the child about the Emergence, telling her what it was and that it had happened the day she had last seen her parents.

"So I did make my mom and dad go away," Elleeka stated.

"No, you were not to blame for that," Elia said.

"You would not have been able to control it." Sheila added, joining Elia in reassuring the child. "But it will soon be all put right."

Eric saw Elia glance at the Thief, a momentary look of surprise on her face at her last words, which then vanished immediately.

"We should hurry," the nestryphaeus suddenly stated. "The Purnima will begin shortly and we will only be able to open a portal for about thirty seconds."

"Elia, we can't let you use the Purnima to send us home," Hank stated. "You need it to heal Theletra and Apsiou."

"I have already promised the use of our collective powers to assist you."

"And we can't accept," the Ranger insisted. "Not now."

"No, we can't," Eric agreed. "We'd already decided that we want you to use it to help Theletra and Apsiou."

Hank appeared surprised at the Cavalier backing him up and Eric couldn't blame him, not after he had made such a fuss about the idea a short time ago. But he wanted to make sure that his friends knew the really did agree with their choice about how to use the Purnima.

"Didn't you say you had to hurry?" Eric added.

"Yes," Elia replied. "I … Thank you."

The nestryphaeus immediately sprang into action, ushering Elleeka back to sit with a group of children before calling to Sotiran and a number of other people to move Theletra and Apsiou into the circle. Eric wondered if they should help but had no idea how and it seemed that the Ranger had concluded that there was nothing they could do for the moment too.

"We should get out the way," Hank stated. "Over there."

The Ranger pointed to a spot against one of the houses, away from the current activity, and they all moved as instructed. They then looked on as Elia's daughter and son-in-law were carried outside and laid carefully in the centre of the circle of people. The men who had moved them then quickly dashed to their respective places and as the last one sat down Elia called out.

"It is time."

Eric looked up to see the light from the Realm's moons suddenly become much more vivid, all three shining brightly overhead. As he watched they became brighter still and he realised that the light was not only coming from the sky, but from the circle of Galatonians. It was increasing in magnitude and he saw his friends turning away, hiding their eyes, but he continued to watch until he could bear it no more and he too closed his eyes.

-X-


	18. Chapter 18: Time to Relax

**Elleeka**

**Chapter 18 – Time to Relax**

Sheila had stood to one side with her friends, keen to see how the Purnima could be used to enhance the powers of the people of Galaton. As the circle had been forming the children had been separated so that they each sat with an adult on either side, presumably to help guide them when it all began.

She spotted Elleeka, sitting with her grandmother to her left but the place to her right was empty. However, a few seconds later the spot was filled by Sotiran who had just finished assisting with the girl's parents.

"It is time," Elia stated.

Everyone in the circle immediately linked hands and Sheila realised that all eyes were now focused on the couple in the centre. As she watched, a soft glow began emanating from the Galatonians, and the light from the moons seemed to focus on the circle somehow, as though attracted to the power flowing from it, a white column linking the ground to the sky.

The Thief tried to keep watching, squinting her eyes, but it was dazzling and she was forced to look away. Hank had been standing beside her and as she had turned her head he had pulled her towards him, putting himself between her and the circle and she had buried her head into his chest.

A minute or two later she felt him relax and guessing correctly that this meant they could now see again she raised her head to look at him.

"You OK?" he asked.

She nodded and he stepped back, allowing her to see the circle and the results from the combined power of the Galatonians and the Purnima.

Apsiou was sitting upright, looking around, clearly surprised and Sheila realised that he must have no idea how he came to be in his home village. As she watched, he turned to his wife and helped her to sit up and the Thief could see she appeared equally bewildered.

"Mom! Dad!" Elleeka yelled as she raced forwards and threw herself at her parents.

"Elleeka!" her father cried out.

He wrapped his arms around Theletra and their daughter and held them both tightly.

"It worked," Sheila whispered, turning to Hank.

"Yeah," the Ranger replied with a smile. "It worked."

Sheila turned her head again to see Elia and Sotiran had followed Elleeka, but at a more sedate pace, and were now helping the reunited family to their feet. Elleeka was clinging to her father's neck, refusing to let go, and he seemed just as reluctant to let her go too, somehow managing to stand while still holding her.

"Sotiran," Apsiou said warmly.

"Apsiou," he replied, grinning at him. "Welcome back, my friend."

"Mother," Theletra murmured, embracing Elia.

"My dear girl," the nestryphaeus replied, her eyes glistening.

Elia wasn't the only one to find the reunion emotional. Sheila eyes were wet with tears and she gladly rested her head against Hank when he slipped his arm around her shoulders. She continued to watch, not paying full attention to what else was being said, but hearing enough to understand that the newly revived couple were having recent events explained to them.

"They look so happy," she said softly.

"Yes, they do," the Ranger agreed. "I'm glad we found out what had happened to them before it was too late."

"Me too," Sheila whispered.

"Looks like they're coming over," Hank commented.

The Thief had already seen Elia and her family heading towards them and she glanced at her friends to see they too were all watching the approaching group. Everyone was smiling and Elleeka had finally allowed her father to put her down, although she was clutching very tightly to her parents hands as they walked over.

After the necessary introductions Elia announced that it was time to celebrate and the whole village sprang into life, a hive of activity, with lively chatter, music and dancing. However, Theletra and Apsiou made no move to join in with the festivities and along with Elleeka remained to continue talking with Sheila and her friends.

"Thank you so much for finding Elleeka and bringing her home," Apsiou said.

"And for what you have given up tonight to reunite us," Theletra added. "How can we ever repay you?"

"We're just glad we could help," Hank responded.

"We couldn't have left Elleeka all alone," Sheila added, smiling at the girl and her parents.

"And we all agreed we couldn't let Elia open a portal for us knowing the Purnima could help you," Diana stated.

"Not everyone would act as you have done," Apsiou commented. "There must be something we can do to thank you."

"A proper place to stay for the night would be a start," Eric mumbled.

"Eric!" the Acrobat hissed.

"I'm sorry," Hank began.

"Not at all, it's the very least we can do," Theletra replied with a smile. "We will make the arrangements and you are welcome to stay as long as you wish as our honoured guests."

Theletra, Apsiou and Elleeka then moved away and Sheila watched them as they rejoined Elia and Sotiran.

"Eric, what were you thinking?" Hank demanded, rounding on the Cavalier.

"Hey, after the trouble that kid caused we deserve a decent place to sleep," Eric demanded.

"She didn't do it deliberately," the Ranger snapped.

"I never said she did," Eric claimed, "but I for one want to sleep in a bed tonight, not on the floor."

Hank sighed and the Thief could easily understand his frustration. They would all more than appreciate being able to sleep somewhere comfortable for a change but she realised it wasn't Eric's request that had annoyed the Ranger but his timing, that and his general lack of tact. She placed her hand gently on Hank's arm and as he turned to her she smiled. It has the result she wanted as he relaxed and smiled resignedly.

"Greetings!"

"Dungeon Master," Bobby cried out.

The small wizard waited until they were all facing him.

"I bring news of a possible gateway back to your home world," he informed them.

Sheila found her eyes automatically flitted towards the Cavalier, half expecting him to make some snappy comment. If Diana hadn't already been glaring at him she was sure he would have done, but the Acrobat's gaze kept him silent.

"The Maraniti Trail will materialise in few days time," the wizard informed them.

"Materialise?" Presto asked. "As in a _suddenly appear_ kind of way?"

"Precisely," Dungeon Master confirmed. "You must follow it until you reach the abandoned township of Feanite. Once there you must find the thing you least expect to see and stay far from that which you hope to find. Only then will the way home be open to you."

"Great, what's that supposed to … urgg."

Eric, obviously unable to keep quiet this time, was cut off suddenly by a jab in the ribs from the Acrobat's elbow. Hank glared at him and then turned back to address Dungeon Master.

"Where will the Maraniti Trail appear?" he asked. "Will it be far from here?"

"You are in luck," Dungeon Master replied with a smile. "It will show itself at Karanx, an area only a few miles north from here; which will leave you plenty of time to enjoy the Galatonians hospitality."

The wizard pointed to the current festivities behind them and they all turned to look at the partying villagers.

"But how will we ….," Presto started.

From the way he stopped abruptly, Sheila didn't need to look back to realise that Dungeon Master had disappeared again, leaving them with only the vaguest of hints about their next quest. She still turned around though, just to be sure, before looking at Hank and smiling. He grinned back.

"I'm not even surprised anymore," he whispered.

"Me neither," she admitted, slipping her hand into his.

"Why aren't you joining in," Elleeka asked, appearing beside them and grabbing Sheila's other hand.

The Thief turned her attention from Hank to the girl and forced herself to smile, but not with much enthusiasm. She was tired after such an early start to the day and didn't particularly feel like dancing and had hoped to avoid the crowded street to spend a remainder of the evening alone with the Ranger. She glanced back at him and it appeared that he had had the same idea as he looked equally disappointed, but Elleeka was looking expectantly at the two of them.

"OK, we're coming," Hank said.

"Not so fast," Eric cut in. "You two still have some explaining to do."

"Explaining about what, Eric?" Hank asked, sounding slight annoyed.

"How you two got together for a start," he demanded. "You weren't holding hands in Chand."

Sheila's checks coloured and she felt Hank tense but instead of releasing her hand as she had expected he squeezed tighter and leaned a little closer towards her.

"Eric!" Diana snapped. "Can't you just let it go?"

"You were the one who said I should ask them," he claimed.

"That's not…" She scowled at him. "Only to shut you up, and I didn't mean it."

He smirked and turned his attention back to Hank and Sheila. The Thief was more than glad that Hank had continued holding her hand and clutched at it tightly. She felt awkward facing Eric's questions and was not sure what to say in response and it seemed the Ranger didn't either. She knew he was uncomfortable too and although the Cavalier often tried his patience, this was personal; right now he probably wanted to throttle him.

"And, now I think about it, I want to know how you got your memories back too," Eric continued.

"They kissed," Elleeka stated innocently.

"Elleeka, shush," Sheila whispered desperately, but Eric had obviously heard her.

"No, don't try to shut her up," he said, grinning broadly. "Not when things are getting so interesting."

"Eric," Diana warned.

"They kissed?" Eric prompted, ignoring the Acrobat.

"Uh-hum," Elleeka confirmed. "Hank kissed Sheila and it broke my spell."

"Kisses don't break spells," Bobby snapped.

"Yes they do," Elleeka argued, pulling free from Sheila's hand. "Kisses are magic and they break magic spells."

"Do not," the Barbarian scoffed.

"Do," Elleeka insisted.

The Thief silenced Bobby with a look that was now well practiced from the many occasions where she had been forced to calm her brother down.

"Well, do they?" Eric asked, looking sceptical, "or is the kid lying?"

"I'm not lying," Elleeka cried out, beginning to get upset. "I'm not. I'm not."

Sheila knew Eric could be really stubborn when he wanted to be and she realised that even if he didn't get answers today he would keep persisting until he found out what he wanted to know. And now he had dragged Elleeka into it, accusing her of being untruthful, waiting to see if she or Hank would confirm or deny what the girl had told him.

She looked at the Ranger, wondering what he was going to do. He turned his head at the same moment and their eyes met.

"Damn him," he muttered. "He's not going to let this go."

"I know," the Thief said softly.

Hank sighed and squeezed her hand as he turned back to look at the Cavalier.

"She's not lying," the Ranger stated. "Sheila and I got our memories back when I kissed her."

"You're kidding!" the Cavalier exclaimed. "Kisses breaking spells!"

"Told you so," Elleeka retorted.

"OK Eric, you've got your answer," Diana remarked. "Now drop it."

"That's not an answer," Eric complained.

"Eric …" Presto began, only to be cut off by the Cavalier.

"There has to be more to it than that. How can a kiss break a spell?" he demanded.

"I … I told Elleeka some fairy stories," Sheila mumbled, her face still crimson.

"And?" Eric queried. "What's that got to do with it?"

Sheila lowered her head, unable to continue, and turned towards Hank once again. She wanted to disappear under her cloak, but knew deep down that that wouldn't really help her feel any better, and she knew the Ranger would not let go of her hand even if she did.

The Thief wondered how far Eric was going to push this. It was bad enough that he was prying about the kiss that had restored their memories, but it wasn't just the one kiss she was worried about. There had been plenty more to follow since then; and then there had been all the other special and private little moments, both before and after they had remembered who they were.

"Fairy Stories like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty," the Ranger replied to Eric's last question.

"Oh, I get it!" Presto exclaimed.

"Get what?" the Cavalier enquired.

"Elleeka believes kisses break magic spells and so _her_ spells can be undone by a kiss," the Magician explained.

"That's so sweet," Diana commented.

"You kissed Sheila?" Bobby asked suddenly, sounding incredulous.

"Yes," Hank confirmed. "I kissed Sheila."

The Ranger turned his head towards Sheila but she continued watching the Barbarian, who appeared far from impressed, a expression of disapproval on his face. He slowly looked from Hank to his sister and then back to Hank again before finally making a comment.

"Yuck!"

Despite the embarrassment of the last few minutes the Thief actually smiled slightly at her brother's reaction. She knew he thought kissing was disgusting, having made similar remarks every time he had come across their parents doing the same thing, so it came as a relief to hear him give such a normal response to finding out about Hank kissing her.

"Are you coming to dance now?" Elleeka asked again.

Sheila still didn't particularly want to join in with the celebrations but right now she welcomed the distraction from the current conversation.

"Great idea," Diana declared, stepping forward to take Elleeka's hand. "Come on Eric, I'm sure you won't say no to some supper."

"Supper, yum," Bobby cried, dashing off with Uni without a second glance.

The Acrobat grabbed Eric's arm and began leading both him and Elleeka away, with Presto walking along side them.

"What about Hank and Sheila?" Elleeka queried, looking over her shoulder.

"They'll join us in a bit," Diana replied, continuing to keep everyone moving.

Sheila watched as her friends left and breathed a sigh of relief, making a mental note to thank Diana later for using Elleeka's interruption as a means to give her and Hank some time to themselves. However, she felt drained following the Cavalier's onslaught and was annoyed about him having poked his nose into her and Hank's private business.

After standing still for about a minute Hank gently led her in the opposite direction from the partying Galatonians. They went around to the back of the houses that lined the street and continued walking in silence until they were at the edge of the village, away from the sound of happy squealing and lively music.

"You OK?" he asked as they came to a halt.

"Yeah, I… Damn Cavalier," she replied.

"Yeah, I know," he agreed.

"Why couldn't he just leave it?" she sighed.

"He never does knows when to quit," Hank replied. "But enough about Eric, I want you to forget all about him."

"Easier said than done," she stated.

"I think I might be able to help there," he claimed, moving swiftly to wrap his arms around her and pull her towards him.

Sheila smiled as he then lowered his head and kissed her gently.

"Better?" he asked.

"A little," she replied. "I think you might need to do that again though."

He grinned. "Good idea," he whispered.

He kissed her again but this time did not move away so quickly, deepening the kiss and pulling her tightly towards him. She wrapped her own arms around him, equally tightly, and responded eagerly. His hand move up her back slowly, caressing the back of her neck, and then moving up again to tangling his fingers in her hair.

She moaned softly, loving the way he was making her feel, never wanting it to end. Hank continued to kiss her, slowly, deliberately, and she gave herself completely to the moment. The Realm could have disintegrated around them and she would not have noticed. All thoughts of the Cavalier, and anything else, disappearing as she focused completely on the man she loved.

-X-

The End

**Authors Note: **I originally started this about five years ago but only got as far as chapter three and never posted any of it. However, I then got talked into signing up for the Small Fandom Bang Round One over at Live Journal and finally got it done.

So first of all, a huge thank you to Sealgirl for your helpful suggestions, the cheerleading, and for talking me into finishing this story. Thanks for talking me into signing up to Round Two, I think, but I'm not so sure I'll be saying that when the deadline comes around next year.

Also, a big thank-you to D.B. Cooper for your continued help once I began posting. Finally, thank you to everyone who reviewed the story. I like seeing which bits you enjoyed the most and it is good to know I can surprise people with cliff hangers and unexpected twists.

So, the end of this story, but I'll be back with another in April 2013 when the Small Fandom Bang Round 2 closes.


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